When Things Heat Up
by risenfromash
Summary: Soul struggles to keep his cool while his feelings for HIS meister heat up. Meanwhile, they struggle with challenging school assignments, powerful enemies, hormones, & how best to support one another. 1st person Soul Eater w/the whole gang. Contains explicit sexual content in some chaps. CHAP 45 46- The gang gets to know a new Demon Weapon
1. Chapter 1

**Risenfromash:**__I have once again caught the fanfic writing bug and I'm excited to share with you this first person adventure told present tense by Soul Eater. Just to let you know I was so immediately taken by the SoMa pairing that I started writing this before I even finished watching the anime. Normally, I build upon the existing canon, but since I haven't read the manga yet I am sure there are things that will conflict with the canon of the manga and the end of the anime series. Assume that the kishin has been defeated and Crona is AWOL…that's pretty much all you need to make this story fit with most of what happens in the anime…

_**Chapter 1: The Girl at the Other End of the Sofa**_

It's afternoon on a Saturday. Sunlight streams in through our living room window making a bright elongated rhombus on the floor. If our friend, Blair the magic cat, were here she would be lying smack dab in the middle of that sun spot, but she's gone for the day out on some adventure or another and I don't mind. Lately when she's been transforming into her human form she's been forgetting to clothe herself and as nice as it is to see a naked woman I find it a tad bit disturbing to go from petting a cat one moment to stroking a naked woman the next.

It's nice to have the afternoon to hang out with my roommate and partner, Maka. She's what makes this place home for me, more than the posters on my bedroom wall or my bottles of my favorite soda in the fridge. Maka is more than a partner to me; she's my other half, though I always avoid using that terminology aloud. It raises too many questions from noisy people who need to mind their own business and just accept that she's my meister and I'm her weapon and so where she goes, I go.

And go we have. We've traveled all over hell and back hunting demons and witches, so having a relatively "normal" afternoon in one another's company free from the drama of world-saving is a pleasant treat for both of us. Plopped down on our sofa, she reads an intimidatingly thick book while I finger mash the videogame controller occasionally shouting obscenities at the asshole player who is insisting on cockblocking my finishing move **every single time** I go to use it.

"If Godbutt35 is Black*Star I swear to Death I will kick the shit out of him."

She glances up from her book. "Want me to tell Tsubaki she needs to make him play fair?" I grin a little. At least Black*Star is more whipped than me. I'm totally devoted to my meister I can stand up to her on the rare occasion when she's being stupid or doing something I disagree with. Black*Star and Tsubaki's partnership functions totally differently because he is **always** doing something stupid and on some level he must know it because he does whatever his weapon tells him. With anyone else it's all machismo, but she can get him to do anything which I assume is because he's as infatuated with his partner as I am with mine.

The difference is that Black*Star would take sex from any willing female and I'm waiting for Maka. That may sound incredibly romantic but in reality it's damned annoying, because Maka is the **queen** of mixed signals. One moment she's whacking me in the head with a textbook any time another checks me out, the next she's pulling away when I try to hold her; I can't figure out if she wants to take things to the next level or not. And since we already live, work, study, and hangout on weekends together I can't exactly ask her out on a date to get the conversation started. That'd be kind of like asking your bandmate to come jam with you. I've considered trying to talk to her about this, but we aren't that great at talking. Instead of talking we often end up understanding one another's feelings as an after effect of the intimacy of our souls during soul resonance, but when it comes to this attraction and whether or not it's mutual I can't pick up a thing from her even during soul resonance.

Which leaves me in the incredibly awkward position of totally jonesing for her, but feeling like a lecherous pervert anytime I fantasize about her because I don't know if she thinks about me that way. Part of the problem is that Maka is humble to a fault. She doesn't credit herself with being nearly as brave or talented as she actually is, let alone how beautiful. You try to compliment her and she just shakes her head like you've said the dumbest thing on the planet. I tell her to knock it the hell off, but she still does it _every time_ I try to tell her how great she looks.

Fact is we pretty much function like a couple, except that we don't do romantic stuff and our physical contact has only gone so far as a quick peck on the cheek, a celebratory hug, back rubs on a stressful day, and sometimes holding hands so having me nudge us in the direction of sex could make me seem like every other horny teenage guy when I really want to do it because I love her. And I'm riddled with guilt because how uncool of me to be projecting some kind of sexual fantasy onto our partnership if all she feels is platonic?

But, really, this girl needs to think about things from my perspective once in a while because she doesn't make it easy for me to _not_ develop these kinds of feelings. First off, we are soul mates- hence our incredible capacity to resonant our souls with one another in combat. Second, she is constantly wearing teeny, tiny clothing- skirts the size of handkerchiefs, tops that cling to her tits, colors that bring out the green in her eyes. And then to top it all off, when she gets excited she'll throw her arms around me and kiss me…on the cheek and every single time I think for like a millisecond it's going to be on the mouth and I get really excited and then I feel crushed when those precious lips steer clear of mine.

I'm beginning to wonder if she's asexual, because she doesn't seem too interested in anybody in _that way_. I mean I realize that I may not be too appealing what with my spikey teeth, red eyes, and hair the color of an old man's, but she's never dated anyone and has no crushes that I know of, not even on movie stars or celebrities. At a time when the entire DWMA student body is spending as much time preparing for proms as witch hunts she seems fairly oblivious to the idea that someone might want to date her. I guess I should be thankful for that, because I might come unglued if I had to see her cozying up to some other guy. The thought alone gets me a bit ill.

Then there's my lesbian theory, strengthened by her strong bond with Crona who I think is actually a chick though she/he refers to herself/himself as male. Which is cool- I don't care what Crona has under that dress, but is will be pretty lame if I find out down the road that the object of my affection has been playing for the other team the whole time.

I pause my game and look over at her. She is deeply engrossed in her book, so she doesn't notice me watching her. I gaze at her legs and feel pervy, because I know how much I want to touch them and allow my hands to run all the way up them and how much I want to tear her clothes off and kiss every inch of her body. I'm flooded with images of her reciprocating my advances by tossing aside her book and giving herself to me right here on the couch. I groan. I can never have a generic sexual fantasy anymore. No matter how hard I try the Jane Doe in my mind ends up turning into her and then I'm left with a huge amount of guilt afterward.

I close my eyes and attempt to transform the thoughts bouncing around in my brain from amorous to platonic. I think about how Maka's sense of justice inspires me and that amazing self-confident glare she gives the enemy before we kick their ass. I remember all the late nights at the kitchen table where she has helped me cram for exams. Without her I probably would have been kicked out of the DWMA, because it's not really the demon eating that's given me a focus, it's her.

And once again I come to the same damn conclusion I keep coming to when I think about her, which is to give it time. If I really want her as my partner for life, I should be able to wait a while longer.

I close my eyes and pray.

_Death, if Maka feels for me what I do for her let her show it, and, make it soon, please. Cause I'm really starting to lose my cool and that isn't cool at all._


	2. Chapter 2: Some Perspective

_**Risenfromash:**_ I am stuck in bed sick today, but thankfully I have enough energy to polish this a little and post it. Hope you enjoy it…

_**Chapter 2: Some Perspective**_

I stand up to get myself some milk from the fridge and she grumbles about me drinking directly out of the milk jug and for at least the five-hundredth time I remind her that she's lactose intolerant and, therefore, will have no reason to encounter my backwash. I see her roll her eyes in mock agitation and I chuckle to myself about how habitual we have become.

I rejoin her on the sofa but this time she lifts her legs up so I can scoot under them. I do so without a thought of the repercussions which are that I am now touching the very legs I was craving mere moments ago. The softness of her skin feels like heaven. She makes a happy little murmur as my left hand comes to rest above her knee. Being this close to her empowers me.

I could do it right now. I could say the words I long to say…_Hey, Maka. I love you…and not just in all the ways you think. I totally want to be your boyfriend._

I groan internally. That won't work. Maka hates labels almost as much as I do. Whenever she introduces me to people she doesn't provide any title or context along with my name. It's just a straight up, "And this is Soul." As if the entire world should automatically know that Maka and Soul are a package deal. No wonder I get confused, but eventually one of us will have to be bold enough to make the first move. I watch as her chest moves up and down with each breath and notice that my own respirations have changed to match hers. We practically beat with one heart. What the hell am I so afraid of? She's my best friend in the world…

"Maka, I love you," the words rush past my lips like a waterfall. I hold my breath.

She smiles. "Love you too, Soul," she says never looking up, but instead flipping to the next page in her book.

Damn it to fucking hell, Maka. Pay attention! We didn't just decide on a pizza topping! Didn't you hear the love, the desire, the craving, the crazy hormones I have for you? How I want to lay you down and kiss you everywhere? How can someone so smart be so dumb? How can she not notice how I squirm whenever she snuggles up to me on the couch or how I start to stutter when she's in that sexy little nightgown with the purple polka dots?

Ugh. It's official. I'm doomed to be celibate. Years from now she and I will be two wrinkled virgins sitting in rocking chairs on the porch of an old age home and she'll say, "You know, Soul, I always wondered what it would be like to make love to you," at which point the entirety of Death City will hear me shout, "You mean I could have been having sex with you this whole time?! FUCK!" Yup. That is my destiny. Thank you, Maka. Thanks. I've always thought you were really nice and sweet, but, no, you are in fact, cruel and mean to me.

Oh, Lord Death! I cannot sit here like this. The urge to do something to make her sit up and take notice of me is simply too great. I shift uncomfortably hoping that the thoughts will go away, but they will not. They rattle around in my brain distracting me from my ability to think about anything other than how much I'd like to lean over pull that book from her hand and have her wrap her arms around my neck and her legs around my waist as I give her a _real_ kiss.

_Deep breath, Soul. Deep breath._ The lust will pass and you'll just go back to your normal state of being hopelessly devoted to her. You will survive this like you've survived all the days before this.

Maybe I'll crank the AC so she'll get cold and put on some damn clothes for a change.

"Soul?" Her gaze meets mine over the top of the book and I immediately ditch my thoughts in order to pay attention to my meister.

"Yeah?"

"I think I figured out that new technique on page sixty-seven. Let's go try it out."

"Sure," I answer without consideration. Where she goes, I go.

"Uuuhhhh…but it's getting late. You better put something warm on. It's gonna get cold when the sun goes down." Good one, Soul. You're taking care of her _and_ easing your own perviness at the same time. Kudos.

"Ok, _Mom_. You know, I can dress myself without your assistance, Soul."

"That's yet to be proven," I mumble whilst recalling all those teeny, tiny skirts she pairs with super long jackets.

After Maka throws on another layer, we walk to the edge of town where there is a vacant lot overgrown with various vegetation. The greenspace has been unofficially adopted by the DWMA students as a practice space because most of our digs are too small to practice many magical maneuvers in and we all get sick of being at the Academy. It's good for everybody to get out once in a while and really enjoy the outdoors.

Tonight we are the only people here so we have an impeccable view of the setting sun which has painted the horizon every shade of pink and orange imaginable. The sight is even spectacular enough to make Maka take a moment to slow down and "smell the roses" for once.

"Wow, Soul, isn't it gorgeous? I wish Crona was here to see it."

"Yeah," Maka leans into me and rests her head near my shoulder. "Don't worry, Maka. I'm sure he's ok and he's probably looking at this same sunset wherever he is and thinking of you."

"You think so?"

I nod. I'm not going to lie to Maka and say I'm sure that we will see Crona again, but if Crona is still alive and kicking I'm sure he thinks of Maka often. She was the first person to really see the good in him. His own mom is a witch and got him mixed up in some really fucked up stuff including attacking us. He almost hit Maka with his obnoxious screaming sword Ragnarok the first time we dueled, but I jumped in front of Maka and took the hit- a nice long slash across my chest. Needless to say I wasn't super hot to jump on the let's-kill-this-enemy-with-kindness bandwagon, but Maka tried it and her sincerity won him over and helped get Crona on a much better path, though we don't know where that journey has taken him currently.

Problem is that Maka often feels _too_ responsible for her friends. Lately she's been super conflicted about whether to try to go after Crona and bring him back to the DWMA, which she considers to be his adopted family and where he belongs as though it is somehow her responsibility. And don't get me started on how she will get teary eyed seeing the big ole scar I have across my chest from Ragnarok.

At one time, I thought I had to conceal from Maka that I would have offed Crona given a clear shot because I worried that she for some crazy-ass reason thought I was the kind of person to lay down my weapon during a fight, which of course I am not. I'm not even sure any weapon class has that ability to really lay themselves at the mercy of an enemy. We're all fight all the time, pretty much. I feared that if she knew I hadn't seen the good in Crona that she'd put two and two together to figure out there isn't much good in me. It can be awkward to be partnered with someone so damn angelic when I'm really a don't-give-a-fuck-about-anything kind of a guy. I remember the tortured feeling in my heart hiding that I would have killed Crona who went on to become one of Maka's closest friends, but when I confessed to her that I thought he was just another good-for-nothing to cut down she had smiled, kissed me on the cheek, and said, "You don't have anything to be ashamed of Soul. You're a much better person than you think you are."

It was that day I struck a bargain with my meister. I would quit feeling ashamed that I would have killed Crona if she would quit bursting into tears over the damn scar on my chest.

I wrap an arm around her back. "He'll be ok, you know. Crona's…" I search for a word… "Resilient." She grins at me proudly. "Wow! I knew that vocabulary program I bought you was a good investment."

I shake my head. "Nope, I don't need no education. The word 'fuck' can say so many things." She whacks me playfully on the arm before hopping in front of me.

"Alright, no more lollygagging," she says with a nod. "If we're gonna be ready for whatever the future brings us and ready to help Crona when we find him we need to hone our skills. So, Game on."

At her signal we are immediately swept into battle mode. I grin devilishly and transform. She catches me before I fall to the ground and I revel in the feel of her hands around me. Her grip is strong and tight, affirming that I am, in fact, hers. I often find being with her in my weapon form more comfortable than my human form. As a scythe, I can relax and focus on our soul wavelengths till we resonant and meld into one another without all the fear and nervousness I feel from being close to her as a human.

"Ok, Maka. You say we're supposed to soul resonate and then what…" Maka is really the brains of the operation and since she is also technically the muscle I'm often left wondering what exactly I bring to this partnership.

"If we do a sequence where we alternate a minor attack and a major attack we can conserve some of that energy and then use a substantially larger attack at the end."

We work for hours trying to get the rhythm of big versus small attacks down. It's hugely rewarding to feel so close to her and to watch her work. Being with her like this makes me crave her even more then her long legs and short skirts. I refocus my thoughts on our attacks and in maintaining the same rhythms of wavelengths, of breathing, of movements and become like one being- transcending any earthly form whether it be human or weapon, we are one soul and it feels like this is how we are meant to be.

After hours of practicing Maka says it's time to call it quits. Reappearing in human form, I hold her in my arms proud of the work we have accomplished. Our sweat glistens in the moonlight, our breathing quick little pants from the exertion.

"Good work partner. You nailed it," I tell her.

"Thanks. Not bad yourself," from her tone I know she is smiling even though I can't see her features in the dark. "I can't believe we were able to hold onto the soul resonance for so long."

Maka and I have been trying to gradually increase the length of time we can maintain soul resonance and today we have surpassed our previous record.

"I mean, usually, the bond breaks when I get startled," she explains. "But you held tight even when I tripped on that stump."

"All you," I say assuming none of the credit for the new record.

"Soul, quit being modest. You had to have done _something_, something special to keep the soul resonance like that even when I was completely losing focus."

"Nope. Nothin' special. Just thought of you." It isn't even a lie- my mind was entirely on her and how comforting having our souls united feels. Who knows maybe amorous thoughts don't distract from soul resonance, maybe they can make the bond more resilient. Maybe the DWMA housing policy of having meisters and weapons housed together is really a secret conspiracy on their part to increase our attack power. This is a theory I must share with Kid…

I feel her hand gently grab mine. "Shinigami, I am beat," she yawns.

"Me, too." We head toward home walking slowly, holding hands and I feel much better about life. If the biggest problem I have is that I my partner is _so awesome_ that I'm in love with her and don't ever want to be without her than I haven't got it too bad…even if she is fucking clueless about my feelings for her.


	3. Chapter 3: Dissected Feelings

_Chapter 3: Dissected Feelings_

The next morning Maka is pounding at my door.

"Up, up, Soul! We gotta get movin'. It's already 7:45!"

I leap out of bed pulling on my pants as I run through the door. Professor Stein is not a person you want to anger by showing up late. Absent is ok, because he figures if you aren't in class you must be off on special assignment saving the world, but show up tardy and you're liable to get dissected.

We are the last students to arrive and run to the open seats next to Kid just in time.

"Welcome, class." Professor Stein's low drool proceeds him into the classroom as he comes sliding in on his green office chair. "Today we are going to shake things up a bit."

"Great. I've been needing a challenge," Black*Star brags from the row behind mine in the auditorium.

"Shut up. You cocky bastard," someone shouts and I grin because I was about to say the same thing.

"Now. Now, class. There will be plenty of opportunities in the coming lessons to prove your toughness- so save it for dueling," Frank says. It never even crosses Professor Stein's mind to tell us to clean up our language. That's one of the reasons he's my favorite teacher. He's just so damn cool.

Standing up from his chair, he adjusts the ginormous screw in his head. _Click, click, click_

"You all have achieved some great things and you have worked hard to learn how best to resonant with your partner and as teams, but _today_ you will not have the benefit of your usual routine. Each meister will come forward and draw the name of a weapon out of the hat and that person will be your partner for the rest of the term. If you get the name of your usual partner you _must_ draw another name. No meister will be partnered with their usual weapon."

Murmurs break out throughout the auditorium. We have been taught that it is highly important to be consistently partnered with the person you work best with so that your training can be that much more accelerated; with great natural compatibility come more powerful attacks or so they've told us. This concept of trading partners seems to go against everything they've taught us so far and from the looks on my classmates' faces it is clear I'm not the only one thinking that.

Ox, our resident expert on every topic under the sun and then some, hops up from his seat in the front row. "Professor! Why are we doing this? We've always been paired with the person that we work most effectively with. It seems ludicrous after all this time that we should be forced to switch."

A lopsided smile forms on Stein's lips making some of his scars stretch in odd ways. "Yes, Ox we have always sought to pair you so that your attacks would be the strongest, but it is time that you learn some flexibility. All of you have resonated in larger groupings so you've had _some_ experience partnering with unfamiliar souls. Now it is time for you to learn to do it one on one just as you would do in an emergency situation."

I blink. What was he saying?

"Weapons, it is possible that at some point your primary meister may fall in combat and it will be your duty to be available for other meisters should they need your help."

I feel kind of nauseous. I could blame it on the fact I didn't eat breakfast, but I know it's because I'm getting taken away from my meister. Maka is going to be someone else's. I think I may hurl, but I need to keep my cool.

I should be happy about this, I guess, since I have feel pretty useless in the past when I've ended up on the sidelines of a fight because Maka has been knocked unconscious or badly injured. I have the ability to turn my arm into a scythe, but the attack isn't powerful enough to do anything to anyone who is more than a common thug so if Maka is down for the count so am I, but I've never really thought about rejoining the battle as the weapon of another meister. I thought my duty as a weapon was to stay by my meister's side no matter what…or was that what I wanted to do because my meister is Maka. Which would be a better way to support her and the team? And what if the answers to those two things aren't the same? I don't ever want to be put in a position where I have to choose between her and the health of other DWMA students or innocent bystanders. Delving into this stuff is not going to be pleasant for me considering how confused I am about the nature of my devotion to Maka.

Sitting to my left, Kid has broken out into a cold sweat and the black dye he uses to try to hide the asymmetrical stripes in his hair has started to run down his forehead. "Patty…Liz…" he murmurs, looking lost.

"Aw, Kid! It'll be ok. You'll still be our number one go-to guy," Patty chuckles, but that doesn't seem to comfort Kid much.

"How will I be symmetrical without both of you? And what good will I be without a gun? I don't know anything about lances or fire arrows! Oh, no what will I do? I will be worthless…a piece of garbage-"

Kid tends to share his personal agonies more vocally than I do. I pat him on the arm. "If it makes you feel any better, I'd much rather stay with Maka."

"I bet you would," he says his eyes staring into mine as though he can peer into my brain and see all the details of my obsession with her. But before I comment, he continues his rant mumbling about the strength of his pinkies and how hard it has been to learn to shoot an upside down gun while on a overboard.

Professor Stein looks at all of us with a serious expression and continues, "The unfortunate reality of life is that no one lives forever and even if each of you finds your abilities greatly enhanced when working with a certain individual you _must_ be prepared to fight at any time with _any_ partner in order to survive."

To my right, Maka stares intently at the Professor her eyebrows slightly lowered, the way they do when she is really, _really_ concentrating- I call the expression "the sponge" as she only gets it when she trying to soak up all the knowledge from one of our mentors or someone she considers super wise.

_She looks so cute like that…_

I gulp. What the fuck?! Can I not go more than a few minutes without having some inappropriate thought about her? I'm sure she'd find it insulting if I dared say something like that out loud. It's totally disrespectful of her abilities as a talented meister.

She turns to me and smiles. "Well, I guess I won't be working with you on this."

I nod not knowing what to say. I fight the impulse to hug her.

_Soul, get a grip. It's not like she's was leaving the country or something. She's just gonna be partnered with someone else for a while._

"Don't worry, Maka. You'll do great," I encourage her. "What'd you need me for, anyway?"

She makes little sounds in protest saying how much I contribute and how she's going to be lost without me blah, blah, blah. If she goes on much longer I will cry so I lighten the mood.

"Just don't pick Excalibur." My joke distracts her as she now feels the need to scan the room for the obnoxious three foot tall master sword. "He isn't here is he?!"

None of the meisters look incredibly enthusiastic as they line up to draw names. I cross my fingers I won't be with Ox. If I have to be with a different meister _temporarily_ (emphasis on the temporarily) I'd rather it be someone less book-wormy, I get enough of the straight-A crowd hanging out with Maka. I need someone a little cooler, maybe a little rebellious…

When the time comes for Maka to pull a name out of the hat she isn't watching her gloved hand as she picks. She's smiling at me across the classroom and I'm smiling right back to show her my encouragement.

I try to tell myself that this assignment will be a good thing for us. It has the potential to make both Maka and I more versatile and that could end up strengthening our partnership in the long run. But my stupid heart isn't listening to my brain. As she unfolds the slip of paper to reveal who will be her new weapon an ache arises from deep within my chest and I'd swear Maka senses it as at that moment she stops and looks back up at me.

Across the classroom, our eyes meet, but it's her gaze on my soul that is most comforting and affirms for me that whatever written on that paper is wrong.

_**I**__ belong with her. She's __**my**__ meister._


	4. Chapter 4: Everyone has a Cross to Bear

_Chapter 4: Everyone has a Cross to Bear_

Later that night I sit strumming my guitar, one leg slung over the arm of the recliner. Maka is out running errands presumably picking up groceries that she will challenge me to somehow transform into an edible meal in the near future. We have a house rule that as long as the cook doesn't complain about cooking, the people eating the food do not get to complain about the taste, texture, or general appearance of the food unless they puke as a result. There is a reason Blair rarely eats meals at home.

A knock at the door disturbs my composing. I figure it's Blair. When she forgets her key she usually changes into her cat form and comes in one of the windows, but it's raining and windy this evening so all the windows are tightly shut and latched.

I set aside my guitar and shuffle over to the door opening it without peering out the little peep hole.

To my surprise I find Kid in his Reaper regalia with a dire expression on his face.

"Oh, hey! Whazzup?" I say taking a half step backward to invite him into the apartment.

He enters and scans the living room, evaluating his seating options. His life is ruled by such severe OCD that even selecting a chair can cripple him with internal conflict. Sometimes I chose to poke fun at his handicap, but today he seems too serious for any ribbing. I offer him a cup of tea as I know that tends to calm his nerves.

"I came to talk to you about our project in Professor Stein's class."

I roll my eyes. "I suspect that you are not particularly enjoying your time with Kirikou."

I shrug nonchalantly. "Yeah, well. Whadduya do?"

"You could tell Maka how you feel."

His eyes meet mine with an intense stare.

"What do you mean?" Best to play dumb I figure. Gotta stay cool.

Kid smirks at me. "Soul, I'm not going to judge you. You don't have to be embarrassed."

I groan. "Am I that obvious?"

Kid shakes his head. "No, but you haven't exactly been discreet either. I've always known that your protective impulses for her are not strictly the devotion of a weapon to a meister, but throughout the entire lesson today you were constantly distracted by what she was doing with the Twins. I sensed it as I was experiencing much the same problem. I feel so…naked without Liz and Patty."

"You….and those two?" I arch an eyebrow at the image that has popped into my head of Kid trying to somehow symmetrically pleasure the two sisters at the same time.

Kid raises his hands in protest. "Oh, no it isn't like that with us. Liz is dating some bartender and I think Patty might _actually_ want to marry a giraffe," he chuckles.

Sighing deeply he continues, "Besides things are considerably more complicated for reapers." His eyes stare past me as though a movie of his future is playing a millimeter to the left of me.

"I envy you," he says and for the first time, I realize something I have always known about Kid but never wished to acknowledge. Despite the fact he is one of the gang- he is always somehow slightly removed from the rest of the team. He stands apart from the rest of us because there seems to be some kind of knowledge or sorrow there that doesn't seem to belong in the psyche of a teenager. Unwelcome feelings flood me as I wonder how such an old soul has gotten trapped in the body of a young man. Not knowing what to say I remain quiet letting Kid say whatever is on his mind. Even though it is awkward to be talking about this with him it seems like the least I can do especially now that I better understand the burden he bears.

Kid smiles a little though it seems fake to me. "We have been incredibly lucky up until now, but at some point it is inevitable that our luck will run out and I fear that one of our friends will be lost."

I gulp glancing at his reaper mask that is sitting beside him on the couch. I haven't seen him with it in months. "Kid, do you know something?"

"No, if I had any information I'd gladly share it with you, but I've got nothing concrete. I've just got a gut feeling that the peace we are currently experiencing will be short lived and before long we will once again be fighting for the very right to live."

Kid's dramatic flare notwithstanding, I contemplate what he is saying and it makes sense. Life is too short to hide happy feelings like love and friendship. I guess a reaper knows that better than anyone. I guess I should tell Maka, but what if she doesn't feel the way I do?

"That said, I'm not only here as a friend."

"Oh? You need help on a mission?" I ask.

"No, I'm here as a teammate. I'm concerned that you may be compromising both your meisters by not working through these…feelings you have for Maka."

His words stab me like a knife but only because I know them to be entirely true. I've failed to protect Kirikou from taking hits because I've been paying more attention to Maka. He's right my hormones are getting in the way of things.

"For all our sakes, I'd encourage you to talk to Maka before it's too late. I find it highly improbable that we will not suffer casualties especially if we are for some reason paired up with our new weapons. I'm having a hell of a time getting that damn lighting rod to do what I want."

I snort. "Maka would kill me if she knew. It could mess up everything. I can't tell her."

Kid nods, "I understand your concerns, but for Kirikou's sake you need to get this out in the open. And there is a distinct possibility that your feelings may be reciprocated. I've caught Maka watching you more than once when Liz and Patty and the enemy should have been retaining her attention."

Now I feel really bad. Kid is basically telling me that Liz and Patty are being endangered because I can't get my shit together. Wonderful, but still I feel the need to defend my decision to wait for her to make the first move.

"Doesn't the DWMA frown on weapons and meisters getting involved?"

Kid laughs, "Weapons and meisters are 'involved' from the moment they are partnered. It is a multi-faceted and extremely complex relationship. The fact that all good pairings are between soul mates means that inevitably there are a lot of weapon/meister pairs that become romantically entangled with one another. It's the nature of the beast and everyone knows it. The only reason my father makes all the students attend that stupid assembly about the dangers of sex with your partner is because they don't want to have to repartner students every few weeks because they've been reckless with one another's hearts or gotten their partners pregnant- there was a rash of that a few years back. It seemed like half the graduating class was expecting. And don't tell me you forgot Black*Star's blatant abuse of the meister role when he tried to convince Tsubaki that they could improve their soul resonance by having tantric sex with one another?"

"I forgot all about that. I've never seen Tsubaki so mad!"

"As well she should have been, but Black*Star's ploys to get laid are entirely different from your desires for Maka." Oh, Shinigami this is awkward. Oh, and he's continuing…

"I know you love her very deeply," he says.

We sit in silence for a few moments. I don't know what to say to that. For years I'd immediately deny that I had any interest or attraction to Maka, but Kid's my friend. I'm not gonna lie to him and I can't think of any snappy comeback. So, I sit in silence wondering why I am willing to listen to advice on my love life from someone who as far as I know has never had a girlfriend…or boyfriend…or maybe even gone on a date. There's just something about Kid that gives anything he says great validity as though it were the word of Lord Death himself, maybe more so since Kid doesn't have the voice of a freak.

"Well, I'm off," Kid announces suddenly, setting his cup down on the coffee table. "I have to go hunt down my ladies and make them feel better about their failed attempts to resonant with Maka."

"Good luck."

"I'll need it. Women are so insanely difficult to work with. The other day I had to agree to let Liz paint my toenails just to get them to work on our cannon attack."

He complains, but I suspect he enjoys their company. Someday I will ask him how their unlikely triad formed, but right now I have too much on my mind.

Kid thanks me for the tea and puts a hand on my shoulder. "And good luck to you. Remember Maka is your friend. She will understand. Just promise me you won't wait too long."

I nod and watch as the mysterious meister positions himself on his hoverboard and takes off.

I pace my room deep in thought about how to best approach the issue with Maka. How do I tell her and how do I keep both her and Kirikou safe? I owe it to both of them to do what I can to protect them from harm.

I take a deep breath. I'm going to have to swallow my pride.


	5. Chapter 5: A Private Request

**Risenfromash:** As the story progresses I've had to make some creative choices about the level of technology in the Soul Eater Universe and I've decided youwon't be seeing cell phones or cars in my story. The modes of transportation are feet, motorcycle, and train and there are no phones. Since I don't recall there being cell phones or cars in the anime I just find it too jarring to include them here…

_**Chapter 5: A Private Request**_

"Well, hello, Soul," Lord Death's exuberant squeal greets me immediately upon entering his chamber as if nothing pleases him more than when his students request to meet with him in his suite. "What brings you to see me today?"

Lord Death has an odd way of emphasizing the wrong syllables when talking. I guess it can be kind of endearing but today his enthusiasm is bugging me. Best to cut to the chase, I guess. I've made my game plan and now I need to put it into action.

"I have a request," I try to act nonchalant even though I know full well that this might be crossing some lines…

"Oh, reeeallllyy? And what can I do for you, young man?"

"I want to be assigned solely to Maka. I don't care if she has other weapons or not, but I want her to be my sole meister."

"Well, that is not an unusual request for a weapon-class. Most DWMA students have a preferred partner, but I believe that Professor Stein has been _intentionally_ having you work with other meisters so that should you need to do so in the-"

"Event of an emergency we can pair with anyone…. I understand that, Lord Death…but the truth is I don't think I'm good enough to be able to do that."

Lord Death chuckles, "My, what low self-confidence you have, my boy! Of course you have the ability!"

I refuse to act ashamed. I'm doing this in the best interest of my classmates. Yeah, I'm going to be super happy getting to be partnered with her in Stein's class once again, but it isn't about finding a way for Maka and I to spend more time together. We are simply at a point in our lives where the two of us need to figure some stuff out and being apart from one another is making it worse for everybody. This doesn't have to be a forever thing, just until we…er…I get my head on straight.

"It's not that I think I _can't_ do it. I…I don't think I'm good at it."

"Everything takes practice and every meister works better with certain weapons-"

"Lord Death," I interrupt. "I want to be paired with Maka so I can keep her safe."

"But another weapon can do that, Soul, and, you of all people should know how capable Maka is of protecting herself."

I take a deep breath. It is now obvious that Lord Death has no intention of making this easy on me and that's ok, because I shouldn't be needing to have this conversation, but shit happens.

"Sir, in an emergency I will fail any meister other than Maka. It's become my instinct to be _her_ weapon and to watch out for _her_. In class I'm getting so distracted worrying about her that I'm screwing up big time. Kirikou isn't going to learn shit paired with me." I pause. I hope that I'm really doing this for everyone's safety and that I'm not simply using that as a convenient excuse to get back with her.

"Please, let me solely be paired with her and I promise I will work twice as hard to ensure we are the best meister/weapon pairing in the DWMA." I blurt it out and stand there nostrils flaring, glaring into the black holes that cover Lord Death's eyes.

"I seeeee," Lord Death lifts one of his enormous hands and taps his chin with his squared off finger. "What I hear you saying is that you believe you have the _ability_ to pair with anyone, but are mentally unable to disconnect from Maka enough to provide protection to your new partner."

"Yeah, something like that." I feel ashamed and dumb. As an aspiring Death Scythe admitting to Lord Death that I don't want to be partnered with anyone but Maka could be seen as an insult since my ultimate goal is supposed be being paired with him, but there is plenty of time for that in the future. Right now I'm a desperate guy taking desperate actions.

Lord Death paces some and shakes his head from side to side.

"I will need some time to consider the repercussions of your request," he says finally and I take that as my cue to get the heck out of there before he starts asking too many questions or tells me to man up or something.

Turning to leave I mumble a thank you and begin to head out.

"But, Soul," I look back over my shoulder. "If I grant your request it is going to be _your_ responsibility to tell Maka why you are only paired with her. Open and honest communication is important in any relationship, never more so than between weapon and meister."

I nod. I'm as obvious to him as I am to his son.


	6. Chapter 6: Candy isn't Dandy Enough

**Risenfromash: **I hope you are enjoying this. I am enjoying writing it.

_**Chapter 6: Candy isn't Dandy Enough**_

It has been almost a week since I spoke with Lord Death and I've heard nothing more regarding our conversation and my little request. I'm impatient and getting really agitated because I imagine with each passing day the likelihood that Lord Death will do this favor for me lessens. If the answer is no I wish that Lord Death or one of the other million DWMA employees would have the decency to tell me. A part of me feels like marching into his office and telling him off for being so inconsiderate. Doesn't he know that this is tearing me up? I need to know because if this doesn't happen I have to come up with a new plan for how to enter into the awkward conversation I am going to have to have with my meister. I can't stand not knowing what the fuck is going on!

Every time I fail Kirikou all I can think of is that screw ups like that could cost one of my teammates their life and, therefore, I need to get my shit together. We aren't playing games here. At the DWMA we're into some serious shit. We don't have a football team or a basketball team- all we have to pride ourselves on is our ability to kick demon ass and right now we are all struggling, probably none more so then me.

After a frustrating morning of less than stellar sparring practice, I'm relieved that it is finally lunch and I'll be able to have a break from Kirikou. I find myself constantly comparing his style of meistering to Maka's and on almost every technique I mesh better with her. I know it's an unfair comparison because Maka and I have had years to form a bond that transcends all sorts of barriers to great soul resonance, while Kirikou and I have just gotten started, but still the guy could be better about adjusting his style to be more like what I'm used to. And then there's the problem of his condescending tone. He's used to being partnered with a couple of kids so he talks to me like I'm a little kid. Maka always talks to me like an equal- a real partner and he doesn't do that. He uses me like a tool and gives me little say in our plan of attack. It's soooo annoying. I half expect him to give me a lollipop as a reward for each soul resonance we do together. I know he isn't doing it intentionally but it's driving me crazy and I don't know how much longer I can take it before I snap and go off on him about it.

I shuffle over to our group's usual bench and am soon met by Patty and her meister. Patty is holding his hand and for some reason has a giant jar of red licorice under her arm. He is eating pieces of the candy like an automaton; as soon as he finishes one piece she supplies him with another. Liz is walking alongside them carrying all of our boxed lunches. I hop up to help her as she barks at Kid to get out of her way before she trips on him.

I wonder what's up because Kid wasn't in class this morning.

"Want a red vine?" Liz asks me as she gnaws on a piece. I nod and she hands me one while placing yet another licorice in Kid's hand. He wears a vacant expression as he chews on the red vine kind of like a cow chewing on cud.

"What's his problem?" I ask the girls. There's no point in asking Kid; he appears to be completely checked out.

Patty attempts a smile. "It's my fault. Kid wanted me to trim his hair a little in the back and I got it a little lopsided and, you know how Kid is, so then I trimmed a little from the other side, but it still didn't look right…"

Liz takes Kid's free hand and spins him like a top so I can observe Patty's handiwork. She has managed to trim him bald in spots and the bottom of his shag is completely uneven.

"It's hideous isn't it?" Kid moans. "I can feel the randomness of it reaching through my hair follicle into my brain, mocking me. It's like having a tiny demon back there, laughing at me."

"At least you don't have to see it," I remind him.

"But I know it's there. How will I survive?"

"Have another red vine, Kid," Liz says while forcefully plopping one into his free hand.

She whispers to me, "They're his favorite. I'm hoping this tub will distract him until the hair grows back what do you think?"

I glance down at the jar- about an eighth of the candy is already gone.

"When'd the massacre happen?"

"This morning right before we were _supposed_ to get here."

I whistle, "At this rate you'll be lucky if that gets you through the day."

Kid slumps down on the bench next to me. I open my mouth to say something to him, but realize all that is coming to mind are smart ass remarks so I remain quiet. Our morale is too low for me to poke fun at my friend and his hair is really, really bad. Much as I hate shopping we may have to drag him to a hat store to find something to cover up the botched trim job.

"Where's Maka?" Black*Star demands as he walks up and plops down on the ground by our bench. "I want to make sure she saw me _cream_ Hiro today. I totally kicked his ass! Next battle is gonna be all about me- I can feel it. I won't let Maka steal _my_ glory! I'll push her aside and do it all by myself."

Tsubaki seats herself next him on the ground, but doesn't appear to be having a much better day then Kid.

"Tsubaki, what's wrong?" Black*Star asks and I have to give him credit- he actually noticed that she was upset. Maybe he is maturing.

"Black*Star, quit bragging! Hiro and I were trying really hard!" Like everyone else Tsubaki has been frustrated by her lack of compatibility with her new meister though she has thus far been too nice to bitch about Hiro the way I've been moaning and groaning about Kirikou the last couple days.

"Fine. I'll shut up about it, but only until Maka gets here. Me and Harvar were resonating better than anybody!"

"Man, shut the fuck up," I order. "We're all on the same damn team. It isn't cool to be happy that the rest of us are having a hard time. Death, this project sucks ass."

"Well, the rest of you can wallow like a bunch of babies, but I'm so good with Harvar I might just keep him."

Tsubaki lets out a wail, "Black*Star, you wouldn't! How dare you! After everything we've been through!" and runs off.

"Black*Star, you are an _asshole,_" Kid states matter-of-factly in between bites of his red vine.

"What'd I do?" the loud mouth asks.

"Are you serious?! Black*Star, are you really such an idiot you can't figure out why Tsubaki would be hurt?" I can't believe my friend is so damn dense. What a dick!

Liz nods, "You said that'd you be happy to replace her. That's cold."

"I didn't say that?! I said that I might keep Harvar around. I didn't mean _instead_ of Tsubaki! Of course not! I'm gonna be a god and gods can have multiple weapons." He punches the air a few times with his giant, gauntleted hands but then seems to lose steam. "Soul, you don't think she actually thinks that's what I meant do you?"

"Maybe things sound different to meisters but it sounded like a world class dis to me. Kid, what do you think?"

"I think his holiness better go apologize or else it will prove he has no human decency."

"Now _that's_ cold," complains Black*Star.

I shove Black*Star in the direction Tsubaki went and whisper to him, "Go now, dumbass, or you're gonna lose any chance you ever had with her."

He practically flies after her. Yeah, he's got some relationship ambiguity going on with his partner, too. That's for sure. At least I'm not alone in that…but I'm still not gonna talk to anybody about it, not until I tell Maka. She's the only one who needs to know. This is strictly between her and me. I've waited a long time for her to make the first move and now I don't have a choice. Wereit not for the pressure of being a Demon Weapon I would continue to wait, but too much is riding on this. It's time I come clean and let the chips fall where they may, but it will be a lot easier if we can be partners. I think we need that solid relationship to ground us as things get a little weird on us.

Soul, why'd you have to fall for your partner? How will you be when you tell her you like her and she looks at you like you're nuts?

Speaking of which, where is she? I glance at my watch. Lunch is almost half over. Where the _fuck_ is Maka?


	7. Chapter 7: Homecoming

**Chapter 7: Homecoming**

After lunch we return to the classroom. Maka joins us after the lecture is already underway. It seems that today we are going to be trying a "stacking" maneuver where multiple weapon/meister teams attack simultaneously to compound damage. This actually sounds pretty cool because we haven't done anything like this before. For the first time in what seems like a long time I'm stoked to be here.

As we head out from the lecture hall heading to the gymnasium we use for sparring I can tell that something is bothering Maka. She actually seems kind of pissed. That's when I realize that her absence during lunch may have been because she was meeting with Stein or Lord Death regarding my little request. Then again, it's possible she could have missed lunch for some other reason entirely, but I'm sure there is something bugging her as she fights with the door to the gymnasium as if it's done something personally to insult her. Yeah, she's pissed about something…but as she walks up to me she doesn't seem mad at me, thank goodness. There will be plenty of time for that later.

"Hey, Maka. What's up?"

"Ugh. I am so mad!"

"'Bout what?"

"I thought that Stein trusted me. I thought I had proved myself and, yes, I know I've been struggling with my new weapon but isn't that normal? I mean everybody is, right? Am I wrong here?" The tirade of words is coming at me so fast and furiously that I can't manage to break in. I pull my hands from my pockets to signal I have something to say, but she plows on with more.

"Can you believe this? This is so embarrassing. I'm going to be the only one paired with my usual partner, like I'm incapable of being flexible. I'm versatile, aren't I, Soul? We don't stick with just one attack or style. We try everything. I'm no creature of habit and I've been studying how to work better with the Thompsons."

It never occurred to me that Maka would immediately assume that this was some kind of punishment, like a remedial lesson. I don't know what conclusion I thought she would jump to but I hadn't considered the impact this would have on her when her self-confidence is already breaking down due to her struggles to resonate with Patty and Liz.

I had assumed, apparently incorrectly that Lord Death would have told her the reassignment was because of my shortcomings not hers, but it seems that they have simply left her to speculate on the reason. This is not at all what I thought he had meant when he said it was my responsibility to talk to her about it. I hate seeing her so worked up about this, but I should have known that the first thing Maka would do was look to her performance. They did meet with _her_ after all. I can totally see how she would jump to the conclusion that this is because she has somehow screwed up. I'd like to tell her the truth but I feel like I'm going into this blind since I don't know what they told her. I decide to play dumb and figure out more about what exactly Lord Death or Professor Stein did tell her before I explain that this is in actuality all my fault.

"Hey, Maka, what the fuck you on about?" I ask nonchalantly

"I've just been informed that I'm to be paired with you for the rest of this assignment. They are reassigning some of the partnerships and determined that I _need_ to be partnered with you."

I'm beginning to understand firsthand how Tsubaki was feeling at lunch.

"Ouch, Maka! You could at least act a little happy to once again be my partner in crime."

Maka shuts her mouth and wobbles back and forth in an attempt to hold in all the negative crap coming from her mouth. "Of course I'm happy to be paired with you, but I gotta learn this stuff, Soul. I gotta learn how to work with other people. I mean, with you it's just so _easy_. I never have to worry about stuff. Our souls converge so naturally-it's like it's meant to be, you know?"

I nod. Oh, yes, Maka, I know and that's why I've been so scared to rock the boat by telling you how much I want more. How I want you in my arms every night and by my side every day. How I want to always be with you.

"Maka, have you ever thought that maybe it isn't about you?"

Her eyes once again flash with anger. "Duh! Of course it's about me! Lord Death invited me to have lunch with him so he could talk to me about it. Oh, Soul, this sucks! How am I going to get better if I can't shake things up like everybody else?"

It's rare to see Maka this agitated and it's not going to help during our duel. She needs to calm down or she is going to have her teachers and Lord Death doubting her. I grab her shoulders.

"Maka, get ahold of yourself. You have unique abilities and you're super smart. You don't need to learn the same way as everybody else. With the two of us working together we can learn everything you need to know, I promise."

"Yeah, maybe… I have been missing you like crazy. Patty and Liz can't help me strategize like you do and things you do for me automatically I have to _tell_ them to do. It throws me off. It's just…"

"You can't be happy we're back together because we work so well together it feels like too easy a path for you."

She nods. That's Maka for you- she will intentionally choose to take the path of most resistance if she is told by a mentor it will be character building.

"Don't worry," I laugh. "You want hard? I can argue and disagree with you about everything. If that's what you want. Forget the way these other weapons blindly do as their meister tells them. You know that isn't my style." I stand in front of her and press my forehead into hers. "Maka, I promise, I'll challenge you."

Her beautiful green eyes gaze directly into mine. "Oh, Soul! I've missed you so much."

I wrap my arms around her and close my eyes, drinking her in. Her scent, her touch, her spirit- I love it all. I even love that she's such a crazy chick that she is willing to make every project more work than it needs to be. We may seem like complete opposites and in many things we are, but we have one thing in common, a burning desire to be the absolute best weapon/meister team we can be and I love that every single day I can trust my partner to be working hard at it.

It's at a moment like this that I feel as though our lips are magnetic and I'm fighting a force pulling them together. I love her, I really love her. I don't even understand how I know I love her when I've never loved anyone before, but somehow I do. I am enamored with her and I want to be more than her weapon. I want to have that level of dedication to her…to us both on the battlefield and off.

I am so happy to once again be of use to her and to help her to succeed. I fear I may be grinning like a fool so I leap into the air, transforming myself before anyone can spy the doofy look on my face.

"Maka, we can do this together. You and me."

She catches me in the air and I feel great comfort when her strong grip is once again around me. I'm back where I belong.


	8. Chapter 8: Going Out

**Chapter 8: Going Out**

The afternoon sails by as Maka and I kick everybody's asses. She is on fire and everyone else knows it including Black*Star who throws a fit when we pummel him and Hiro with a modified Witch Hunter attack. I can sense Maka's self-confidence returning, though there is no doubt that she is still upset about what she sees as a dis from the school administration on her abilities. I figure I'll talk to her about it tonight, though every time I imagine the conversation my stomach starts churning like I've eating bad meat.

I try to figure out what is the least I can get away with telling her and what might be too much information. I'm in love with her- a definite TMI. Let's tone that down a little…I care very deeply for her and I made the request that we work together because I find it hard to concentrate being separated from her and I suspect she's the same way…and we are so awesome that we usually can accelerate our learning so the drawbacks of being partnered with others will probably…possibly be outweighed by the two of us being a team again.

I evaluate this statement. Do I sound needy and desperate? Possibly. Does it sound like something creepy or pervy that will send her running the other way? No. If I can focus my comments on an extreme level of _concern_ and keep the verbiage platonic I may be able to play it off like I'm not desperately hoping we can take our personal relationship to the next level.

Still, the only time I can manage to clear my mind of the anxiety I have surrounding talking to her about this is when I am in weapon form and she is "in the zone" swinging me around and resonating with me to kick mock demon-butt.

After class, I suggest we go out for ice cream. We have a particular shop we like to go to that has lots of non-dairy choices. I make sure to ask her this when no one else is in earshot as I know all our friends would jump at the chance to go grab a banana split or two and I don't want them to come with us, not tonight. I need a few minutes alone with Maka and I fear that at home Blair would come waltzing in just at the wrong time regaling us with tales of how she and Maka's dad were up all night having screaming orgasms together or something like that. Damn, horney cat! And if our friends come to Treats and Sweets with us we'll probably end up debating the best ice cream topping rather than having a serious conversation about the whole reassignment thing.

I figured we'd stop at Treats and Sweets on the way home, but Maka asks if we can stop by the apartment so she can take a shower and change clothes and I realize that we are both pretty gross because it gets really hot in the gymnasium and we've been sparring for hours.

"Is that a subtle hint that I stink?" I ask her.

"Not subtle and, yes, you do," she tells me.

So after grabbing our crap we head home to clean up with the intention of immediately heading back out to the ice cream shop. As we leave the academy, Black*Star shouts after me to ask if I want to shout some hoops tonight and I tell him that we can meet at the park about seven. Having some guy time on the court after talking to Maka will probably help me keep my cool as I suspect no matter what happens I'm gonna be kind of worked up…possibly in many different ways.

I hit the shower first and throw on some cleaner jeans that were wadded up on my floor and a clean t-shirt and then Maka heads into the bathroom.

"Are you two going on a date?" Blair asks pointing toward the bathroom to indicate she has noticed that Maka and I are changing clothes.

"No. We're just going out for ice cream."

Blair's lips twitch, "Can I come?"

"No!" I shout at her, hopefully not so loudly that Maka heard me over the sound of the shower running.

"I see," she giggles. "You came home to change clothes and put on cologne-"

"I am not wearing cologne! I don't even own cologne. It's deodorant."

"_Special _deodorant."

I mumble that it's a new brand and that's why it smells different, but she's not listening. She's too busy torturing me. "So, you came home to gussy up before just the two of you go out for ice cream. You gonna share a tall soda with two straws, too, on this one-on-one non-date?"

I moan. Why does this creature live with us?

"It's not a date, and don't you have a sleezeball to go fuck or something?"

"If you're referring to Spirit, yes, we will be going out tonight on an actual date."

"So, he's your boyfriend now?" I wonder how Maka will take that.

"No, we're friends with benefits, but we go out sometimes. Like a couple of young people I know."

I scowl at her. "Don't you dare start telling people Maka and I are dating. Spirit will freak out on me if he thinks we're an item. You hear that? Don't breathe a word of any of this to Slut Boy."

"Don't call him that!" she squeals.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I just find it hard to see how you can consider sex with Spirit a 'benefit' when he'll give it to anyone."

Blair gasps, but I haven't crossed any line that hasn't been crossed before.

"At least I will admit I _want_ to have sex with him. Unlike a couple roommates of mine who are in complete denial with one another."

My eyes narrow. She knows too much. "How do you feel about sleeping with a bisexual is it hard because you can't fulfill all his needs? Cause you know there's some pretty convincing stories circulating at the school about your friend and the Professor."

She twitches. "Oh, I do not like that Professor Stein-"

"Jealousy can be an ugly thing-"

"Well, then you better watch out, because I know a bunch of guys who want to ask Maka out to the next dance. So, if you want to make a move-"

I jump forward and put my hand over her mouth. "Blair, shut up. Please shut up. I have to talk to Maka about some stuff-"

Blair's excited fangirl squeal is muffled by my hand but still audible.

Realizing that I'm not going to let her talk she transforms into cat form and looks up at me.

"Good luck, Soul. You two are so cute together!"

"It's not that big a deal- it's more about school than anything…"

I hear the shower shut off and Blair and I both take that as the signal that this conversation is over. She knows that I will _kill_ her if she keeps this topic up within earshot of Maka.

Someone rings our doorbell. I look at my watch. I told Black*Star I would meet him at the basketball court at seven. That's not for another couple hours. What part of that does that idiot not understand?

"What the fuck Black*Star you forget how to tell time?" I shout as I open the door. Standing in front of me is Tsubaki. She's wearing a long sundress, her hair is down, and her face is a red, puffy mess as though she has been sobbing.

"Oh, hi, Soul," she seems embarrassed that I've seen her like this. "Is Maka home?"

I nod. I don't think I've ever seen Tsubaki cry.

"I was hoping I could see her."

"She's in the shower. It'll be a couple minutes."

The door to the bathroom opens and Maka comes out dressed only in a towel. I try not to stare, but I do. Oh, how I do! But Maka is concentrating on Tsubaki.

"Tsubaki, what's wrong?"

"Maka, I really need someone to talk to," she bursts into tears.

Maka runs over to her and wraps her arm around her and leads her to the couch. She glances my way and I mouth the words to her that it's ok and I head to my room to give them some privacy.

I hear a lot of sobbing and whispering with a few gasps thrown in and I decide that the most polite thing to do is to block all of it out with music as Tsubaki doesn't want to talk to me about whatever is wrong. It's probably a girl thing and I would be no help anyway.

I put on my headphones and listen to jazz and fall asleep.

When I wake up I find the apartment empty. Maka left me a note saying her and Tsubaki were going for a walk and thanks for understanding. Yup, that's me, Mister Understanding. Oh, well sobbing girlfriend trumps sweet treats with roommate/partner/pseudo mate any day.

When the time rolls around for me to head to the park Maka still isn't home so I leave her a note.

_Maka,_

_Went to play b-ball with Black*Star. You can join us if you feel like it. Hope everything is ok._

_Soul_


	9. Chapter 9: Forbidden Fantasies

**Risenfromash: **One final warning- there is a reason why this story is rated M.

_**Chapter 9: Forbidden Fantasies**_

I am in the red and black checkered room, dressed in my suit, seated at the piano. My fingers dance across the ivories playing a seductive tune in A Minor. I think that I am alone, but then another figure approaches the piano. It is Maka but her usual dress has been replaced with one of black velvet with a slit that reaches up to her hip. She is wearing black spike heels and every step she takes drips with seduction. She stares at me lustfully and climbs onto the piano, lounge singer like. She runs her fingers back and forth above the empty music stand never once taking her eyes off me. She says nothing as I try to continue concentrating on my sonata, but in actuality I must bring it to a conclusion quickly as I am incredibly aroused.

My tickling of the keys becomes a pounding as I feel desire pulsating through me. I will have her and I will have her tonight. Right here and now. My hands fly wildly up and down to hit the final keys, my pelvis rising and falling with the music. The song is now over, but only the music has climaxed. My want of her continues to build. I stand up and meet her eyes. They sparkle mischievously and I think that she wants me, too, and that I will finally be able to unleash the years of pent up sexual frustration.

I approach her and put my hands on her waist, gently lifting her down from the piano. Doing so, I get a glimpse of her cleavage and I'm surprised how much her pert, little breasts excite me. The phonograph in the corner spontaneously begins playing and I pull her body toward me so that our pelvises are pressed into one another. My arm is wrapped around her back possessively. Were there other people in the room there would be no doubt that cutting in was unwelcome. She is mine. I am sure that she can feel my arousal through her dress and I imagine plunging it deep inside her. I am leading the dance slowly transforming it into a form of erotic foreplay. My hand slides down from her waist and grips her ass and her eyes grow big and the seductive quality they held only moments ago dims replaced by the wide-eyed innocence of a virgin playing games she doesn't completely understand. My dancing leads her to the wall, where I lean my body into hers compressing her between the wall tapestry and my aching cock.

She lets out a little shout and I smirk with satisfaction. My aggression has surprised her and so will my determination as I will not take no for an answer. I turn her as though to dip her upper body bringing her lower half even closer to me, but instead of helping her to right herself I ease her to the floor and pin her beneath me. Her eyes grow larger and she makes a sound that is in definite protest, but it's clear she doesn't understand that there is no turning back. Had she not wanted this she should not have come here, dressed like that, playing grown up games with me, because I am very much ready to play the way grown-ups do.

I use all my weight to restrain her beneath me as I reach around and unzip her dress. It is amazingly easy to peel her upper body from it. One hand works to remove the top portion of her dress while the other one reaches through the slit to clasp the edge of her panties and yank them down. She is crying now and repeating my name.

"Soul, stop, please, Soul," she is begging for me to stop, but I do not. Soon her breasts are revealed and she is trying to pull herself out from under me, but I have the upper hand, quite literally, as I take her wrists in my hands and hold them high above her head while I lick and bite her neck and bosom. She is screaming now and I chuckle.

"Now, Maka. You know you want this."

"No, Soul. I don't. Stop, Soul. _Please_." Her fear excites me. I have never felt such power.

I use one hand to gather together her wrists all the while making sure to keep her arms extended far above her head. This gives me a free hand which I will use to guide my cock into her. As I enter her she is screaming and trying desperately to break free. All I do is chuckle and comment on how tight she is.

"Maka, you don't need to make such a fuss. You knew this was inevitable and in time you'll learn to enjoy it."

Her protests turn into moans of pain as I move myself around in her. "No one is here to save you because that's _my_ job. After all you are _mine_."

As I continue to plunge myself in and out of her ever harder I think I see the Little Demon in the corner smiling. I turn away as I don't like being watched this is our private moment…the one I have waited so long for…the moment when I'm in charge.

There is a great crackling sound as our soul resonance breaks apart and the red and black room dissolves away. We are now in the real world.

Maka's face is twisted in agony as she drops me in scythe form onto the ground. I can see that her hands are blackened from the searing heat I produce whenever we aren't resonating at the same wavelength. The terror on her face is unlike anything I have ever seen. She pivots and starts to run from me, but I am fast. Already back in human form I dart forward and my hand grabs her ankle and pulls her to the ground.

She falls face first, getting a face full of dirt in the process.

"Why so upset?" I ask as though I don't know. "You know things in the black room aren't _really_ happening."

"But….but…Soul…you…" She looks as though she is searching for a way to explain my behavior.

"I fucked you."

She cringes at my abrasive language. "Would you prefer I say that we made love?" My tone lacks any compassion and drips with mocking.

"This isn't you, Soul. You aren't like this! You're a gentleman. Fight it Soul-"

I guffaw at her expression. "Now, Maka, don't pretend to know me and what I want from my meister. Besides, I'm pretty sure you had crush on me once upon a time. Now it's time to make your fantasies come true."

And I am on top of her, using my scythe arm to rip away every article of clothing that stands between me and her naked body. She is screaming for me to stop, but I ignore her.

"Really, Maka. Don't be such a cry baby."

As I enter her, I hear my alarm clock sound. I come too feeling extremely disoriented, rock hard, sweaty, and deeply, deeply ashamed. A part of me grapples to secure what is real. Last night, I went to bed before Maka got home, right? Was that last night that I went out with Black*Star to shout hoops? I think so. And I think Maka went out with Tsubaki…and, yes, Maka has met me many a time in the black and red room in my mind, but never in that dress. I've never led when we dance, which is very rare...but we have danced before, but I've never pinned her against the wall. I've never-

As the most horrific portion of the dream plays back in my head I am sickened. I would never do that to any girl and to see my Maka in such torture is unbearable. Where had these thoughts come from? They were so real, so graphic in every detail…Can't I control myself? I mean, I want her bad…but I can control myself, right?

I run to the bathroom and kneel in front of the toilet retching. I cannot accept that I have these desires within me somewhere. I am evil. I have had sexual thoughts about my meister and I had thought it was ok, but a line has been crossed even if it is only in my mind. I need to get away from her before I start acting the way I did in the dream. My job is to protect her and that includes from me.

I throw up and it leaves my mouth tasting of bile and day old food.

"Soul! Soul, are you ok?" Maka is outside the bathroom door sweetly showing her concern for me. "Do you need anything?"

I am too upset to face her. How will I ever be able to gaze into her eyes again when I've seen what her beautiful face looks like distorted by victimization? I don't know what to do. I think I need a shrink. I wonder if our school nurse could help me, but I can't tell a woman about this. How ever she would go about slaughtering me would be too good.

All I wanted was to be with Maka, but clearly my affection for her has grown into an obsession. I want to die. I cannot live with this shame and I cannot live with Maka's love knowing that I would dream of something this cruel. Maybe all those people who've told me over the years that I was a good-for-nothing are right. I'm no hero. I don't belong here.

"Soul, answer me! Are you ok?" Maka begins to pound on the door. She is nothing if not persistent, so I press the button on the doorknob to release the lock and she tumbles into the tiny bathroom practically falling on top of me.

"Oh, Shinigami! Are you OK?"

I don't answer because I am definitely anything but ok and I don't want to have to lie to her. She pulls my hair away from my face and runs a hand across my brow. Thankfully, she can't tell that the tears on my face aren't due to the nausea. If she knew how upset I am she would try to get me to talk about it. She would tell me that whatever the problem we could find the solution. That's what we do for each other, but this is one problem only I can fix. I've got to leave her. I am too possessive of her and too lust filled to have any good come of our partnership.

"I hope it's not food poisoning." She says examining my bloodshot eyes. "You better stay home today. You want to lay on the couch? I'll get you a barf bucket."

Less than five minutes ago I was raping her in my dreams and here she is acting as my nursemaid. Somehow it makes it even more horrifying because it solidifies in my mind just how much she trusts me. I could overcome her at any moment and have what I want…

I tremble in disgust. Sex is not what I want. I want her love, right? Right, Soul? I don't know anymore. I don't feel confident about anything except that I seem to be turning evil; perhaps it's the fault of the Black Blood. It could be acting up again but it doesn't matter the cause. I may not be able to fit it and if that's the case I need to get the fuck away from her fast.

She guides me over to the couch where she has laid a blanket and pillows and a mixing bowl in case I need to puke again.

"Soul, no offense, but you really look like crap. Maybe I better stay home, too, to make sure you are ok."

I shake my head. The only way for me to recover is for her to go away, far away from me, and quit being nice to me. Which won't happen because she's a nice person, far too nice and far too trusting.

I wonder how many men out there have these thoughts and a part of me wants to lock her in her room for her own safety. Something so pure shouldn't have to mingle with the depraved.

"No, Maka. Go to school. I'll be ok. I'll just stretch out on the couch and watch a movie or something."

"You sure, Soul? Because I can let Tsubaki know to bring our assignments home after class-"

"Naw. Just go."

She takes my hand and entwines her fingers in mine. "I'm worried about you. Are you sure you're gonna be ok? I hate to leave you like this."

I muster my strength to be able to say something halfway normal to her. "Go. I'm sure I'll be fine and we don't want to fall behind."

"I'll pick up some 7-Up on the way home. K?"

I nod. I will agree to anything to get her to leave. Maka lingers in the doorway trying to reassure herself that she is making the right decision leaving me alone for the day.

I watch her as she leaves trying to savor that last look she gives me as the only way I can think to protect her is for me to leave here as soon as possible.


	10. Chapter 10: Mementos

**Risenfromash: Thank you to all of you have reviewed and/or are following this story.**

_**Chapter 10: Mementos**_

After Maka leaves the apartment, a mixture of relief and sadness sweeps over me. By leaving I will save her the unpleasantness of realizing the truth about me, that I am self-centered and enjoyed her company and hunting demons for all the wrong reasons. Maybe she will eventually realize that I am just like the rest, a cock-driven horney asshole who really should never have been trusted. We were able to make it work for a while, but the demise of our happy pairing was inevitable.

A part of me is tempted to lie on the couch and talk myself out of leaving, but I love Maka too much for that. She deserves better than to live with someone who is harboring these kinds of violent and despicable thoughts. Besides, there is no reason to wait; the sooner I hit the road the more distance I can put between me and her and the entire demon hunting portion of my life. I figure it makes the most sense for me to head to Vegas or Reno; I can probably lie about my age by forging a couple documents and land a job playing piano in one of the many lounges there. The irony that I'm leaving my peaceful little apartment to go tickle the ivories in Sin City, an environment not all that unlike the red and black room is not lost on me, but at least Maka won't be there and hopefully, eventually I'll get over her. It's not like we were married or something.

I go into my room and look around- I don't own a lot of stuff, certainly not a lot worth lugging to my next life. I grab my jeans, t-shirts, some underwear, my guitar, and the standard issue DWMA Survival Kit. The school has made it incredibly easy for me to take off. The Survival Kit given to each student that goes on special assignment includes essential supplies for roughing it while away from civilization: bedroll, sleeping bag, mess kit, pocket knife, flint and steel, and a small, but well-stocked first aid kit. There really isn't much more I need. Maka would say a toothbrush and toothpaste, but I know darn well those are optional.

I open my night stand to grab the keys to the motorcycle. Inside the drawer is some random crap I have stuck there for lack of a better place: a birthday card from my grandmother, a couple photos, a few stray guitar picks, half a pack of bubble gum, and some miscellaneous junk. Staring back at me from one of the photographs are a younger Maka and me, shortly after we became partners. I can't believe how small we look. I don't _feel_ any different, but it's obvious we've both grown up tremendously since our first year at the academy. I try to remember what I felt for her then, before things got so damned complicated. Another photo is of a bunch of us at lunch… I'm stuffing my face with a huge wad of something while Kid is waving his arms in disgust at my appalling table manners. I'm gonna miss messing with him. He's a good sport considering we all pick on him about his OCD and all.

There's also a photo of me dressed up for one of the school's formal dances. It was taken on one of the school's balconies. I like to retreat there during big social events like the Death Bash because dances aren't really my thing, but I don't want to be a party pooper and not go so I usually escort Maka and then retreat to the solitude of the balcony and admire the stars and enjoy the cool evening air, instead of getting myself all hot and deaf out on the dance floor. Or at least, that's what I've done till now. I guess that's all over now. I sigh.

The other photo is from the beginning of this school year and it's of Maka and me. In this one I'm in weapon form and she's wearing her don't-you-dare-mess-with-me look. It's a copy of our official "partner photo" that goes in the yearbook to commemorate the school's meister/weapon teams.

A part of me things that if I really want to move on I should leave these things behind, but I can't shut the drawer and leave these things there. It seems disrespectful to those special memories and the people I shared them with so I grab the photos and stuff them in my bag along with a couple other mementos from my friends: a token from the arcade that one of our friends pierced a hole in with a lightning attack, a gaudy Death mask ring that I won as a prize at the school carnival one year, and a letter from Maka that she sent me when her and the girls went away for a couple weeks.

Maka is good at writing letters. She has the vocabulary necessary for good written correspondence and pretty handwriting that isn't too loopy but distinctively her own. I don't know why, but I find myself opening the letter. In it she talks about how they went whale watching and swimming and how she lost her bikini top in the pool and Patty had to swim way out into the ocean to get it. The letter is signed the way Maka always signs letters to me, "Sincerely with love, Maka."

I can't compete with her storytelling or her penmanship, but I know I can't get out of leaving her a note. If I don't leave a note to let her know I've left of my own free will she will assume something bad has happened to me and by tomorrow morning she will have the whole of Death City plastered with "missing" posters and the entire DC Police Force on the case. She worries about me.

I grab a ballpoint pen and some notebook paper from my drawer.

_Dear Maka,_

Great- that's a start. Now what to say…

_I'm sorry but I have to go. I know it will upset you, but know that I'm doing this for your own good. There is stuff going on with me that you don't need to be worrying about. Trust me when I say it will be easier this way for both of us._

_You will find another weapon you are great with. You really don't need me. Please don't worry about me. I'll be fine. You know I'm good at taking care of myself. Tell Blair she can eat all those cans of tuna in the cupboard and Black*Star can have my comics- they are in that box in the corner of the closet._

_I will never forget you._

_Love, Soul_

_P.S. When I've earned some money I will send you a couple hundred bucks for the bike because it really belongs to both of us, but I'm taking it anyways. Don't dare put the money into your savings account, please buy yourself something nice with it to make up for all the crappy Christmas presents I've gotten you._

There, done, but it doesn't seem right somehow. Maybe because a part of me wants to tell her that I really don't want to be doing this, but what's the alternative…stay here until I snap and do something I regret? No, thank you. I'm not going to be doing anything to please Little Orge. Staying would be nothing but selfish.

My angular handwriting resembles Stein's stitches and I briefly remember that moment when I thought Maka was a goner. That split second when I jumped in front of her- the moment I got infected with Black Blood. That single action has tainted our relationship with so many problems, but I have never once regretted it. I'd die to save her any day, but leaving is the only way I can think of to save her from me.

The lines on the page begin to blur as I cry. Damn, Soul, quit acting like a girl. I snicker at own self-deprecating humor. I am acting like a girl, an average girl, not at all like my Maka.

Maka is not like any girl I've ever met. If she were here right now instead of crying she'd probably be threatening me by brandishing a book or her fist. She'd be screaming at me or trying to bargain with me, all while trying to sneak inside my mind to meet me in the red and black room in hopes she could somehow convince me not to go, that she could prove that my inappropriate thoughts are due to my infection with the Black Blood and not really my fault.

But lucky for me, Maka doesn't suspect there is anything going on with me other than contraction of some stomach bug or food poisoning. I wouldn't be surprised if she stops by the library at lunch time to read up on which herbs to put in my tea to make me feel better.

I create too much work for her. This will be far better for her. She shouldn't be stuck with the albatross that is Soul and his antisocial, grouchy nature. All those dances we went to together and I never once danced with her or with anyone else. So many times I squelch her optimism or put down her bookish nature. We're a horrible fit for one another. What on earth was I thinking falling for someone like her?

I go out front and secure my knapsack to the back of the bike and toss my guitar over my shoulder. I take one last look down the street to the DWMA admiring for the last time its iconic Lord Death mask and candle design.

Being a part of the DWMA has been a ton of fun: the demon souls were damn tasty, the kids were cool, and we had a lot of really great adventures, but now it's time for me to move on. I should have known this wouldn't last. I had convinced myself this was where I belonged, but it was all a lie. I knew that deep down inside I didn't belong here. I'm a solitary creature by nature and being one of Lord Death's students was just too social for me. The school is one big family and I don't do well with that kind of thing. I need to find a place where once again I am alone in the world.


	11. Chapter 11: When Things Were Simpler

**Risenfromash: I will be updating the last chapter to reflect that the motorcycle has been dubbed, Brunhilde by Maka and Soul. I had contemplated giving it a name, but didn't end up doing it until this chapter…anyways, I'm sure in Soul's note to Maka he would have used the bike's name… so, I'll go back and change that.**

_**Chapter 11: When Things Were Simpler**_

It's been a while since I've gotten to go on a long ride, but I find it hard to enjoy it without Maka. Usually when I'm riding, Maka's right behind me, her arms draped around me, her face occasionally leaning forward to speak into my ear over the noisy, clunky purr of the engine.

It's hard to believe there was a time when she was frightened of Brunhilde, but I can't say I blame her considering that our first ride was a total spur-of the-moment thing and neither one of us had ever before been on a motorcycle.

_We had been pursuing a particularly elusive demon for several days and Maka and I were both tired and grouchy after unsuccessfully trying to corner the bastard multiple times. Maka was getting so frustrated she had even confided in me that she was considering returning to Death City to tell Lord Death that we weren't experienced enough to take on a demon of this skill level, but my pride wouldn't let me agree to giving up especially since part of the problem was he rode a motorcycle so he could cover a lot more ground than we could. For days we wandered the desert using Maka's Soul Perception ability trying to figure out where the demon was hiding himself._

_When we finally cornered him and finished him off I was all too happy to swallow his soul and be done with him. Seeing that his soul was no longer in existence, Maka collapsed onto the ground to relax for the first time in what seemed like forever._

"_Oh, thank Death. I thought we would never be done with that damn demon."_

"_Made a tasty desert," I commented sucking the last little bits of demon soul from between my teeth._

"_Lucky you, I'm starving. These rations aren't cutting it." Maka stretched out on the ground digging through our backpacks for something else to eat. "Ugh. We barely have anything left. Oh well, at least we can start heading home now. I say we order pizza as soon as we get back." She flopped onto her back looking up at the endless blue sky above us._

"_I second that motion! With extra anchovies!"_

_Maka cringed, "Only on your half."_

"_Half? What are you talking about? I'm gonna eat a whole one myself…" My voice trailed off as I noticed something unexpected. Our assailant's motorcycle had not disappeared. It was by no means a hog to be especially proud of, yet it looked like a well-maintained vehicle. I walked up and poked it with my pointer finger._

"_Funny. I thought this thing was ethereal."_

_Taking her eyes off the sky, Maka rolled over to see what I was talking about. "Oh, it's not, huh? I kinda thought that, too. I guess I should have known it was real 'cause no part of his soul was hanging out over there with it, but I didn't really think about it."_

_I threw my leg over the seat, positioning myself on the bike the way the Harley riders do outside of Death City's biker bar. It felt good to be seated on something with that kind of power. I grinned. I could imagine myself flying across the hot desert, my unruly hair thrown back by the wind, the sunlight gleaming off the motorcycle's shiny silver workings. It would be a nice change from slogging on foot and with a bike we could actually bring more gear on our little hunting parties in the future. I could think of a million reasons we needed this bike._

"_Soul, what are you doing?"_

_I thought the answer was pretty obvious. I was having a mangasm over this piece of automation, but I replied with a simple, "Nothin'," so as to not lay all my cards on the table at the beginning of the negotiation with my meister._

"_Un huh. It doesn't look like nothing. What it looks like is you think it's Christmas morning and Santa just visited."_

_I grinned from ear to ear. She knew me so well._

"_Well," I began the negotiation. "The responsible thing to do is not to allow this motorcycle to sit here abandoned. The oil and gasoline will eventually leach into the soil. It would be very bad for the environment. Wasteful. And since it doesn't have an owner-"_

"_It __**does**__ have an owner. At this point it's property of the DWMA."_

"_And __**conveniently**__ I happen to be a representative of the DWMA." I can only imagine how demonic I must have appeared with my eyes glimmering with desire as I ran my hand over its shiny chassis._

_Maka tipped her head. "We're supposed to notify the administration of any abandoned property of defeated witches or demons. Then Lord Death decides what is most appropriate to do with it. Maybe the demon has a family it should go to."_

_I blinked. This chick could not be serious! "That asshole hasn't had anyone who cared about him for a long time…but __**I'll **__be honoring his memory every time I ride on it."_

_I knew that appealing to Maka's sentimental side was a long shot, but I had to try every angle I had because I was bound and determined we would be __**riding**__, not walking, home and it can be really challenging to get her to deviate from DWMA standard operating procedures._

"_Well…" She said, considering it. I was wearing her down for sure! Time for the most persuasive argument of them all!_

"_Come on, Maka. Your feet are tired and so are mine. We've been hoofin' it for days and this way we could save our feet and get back to school sooooo much faster. Besides, I __**know **__you pocketed that history of witchcraft book from that werebeast we defeated last month and __**I**__ didn't say __**anything**__ when you didn't hand it over to Lord Death."_

_She approached me and the bike cautiously wincing with every step. It wasn't an exaggeration to say that our feet were killing us. We'd worked hard. We deserved a ride._

"_Soul, you don't even know how to ride a motorcycle. It takes people a long time to learn the control necessary-"_

_I turned the key that the demon had carelessly left in the ignition. I revved the engine and away I went. I flew forward but quickly got a feel for the bike's power. I eased into a curve and came back pulling right up in front of her. I smiled and reached out to her with my right hand._

"_Come on, Maka," I said leaning over so as to whisper into her ear. "Live a little. I know you want to."_

_She let out a little "eep" and blushed like she often does when caught giving in to her rebellious side which, I must admit, often has something to do with me luring her there._

"_You trust me, don't you?" I asked her._

_Her nod was slow and deliberate like she was in a trance. She was probably considering if it was a good day to die or not, but I just smiled wider and gave her arm a little yank to pull her up to join me on the bike. She situated herself with her hands on me and her feet finding comfortable resting spots on the side of the bike and then I slowly drove over to grab our gear. I cut the engine, hopped off and collected our packs and tied them to the back while Maka sat watching me never saying a word._

_She still looked frightened, but I suspect she had made a deliberate decision not to voice any of her concerns, because she had decided to trust me. If I said it would be fine she must have figured it was her duty to give me the opportunity to prove it to her. I smiled at her._

"_It's gonna be ok," I said mounting the bike in front of her. "I promise. Just put your hands around my waist here," I took her hands and guided them to my waist rather than to my chest where she had been clinging to me. "We'll be back to Death City in a jiffy."_

_I took off like a bat outta hell and Maka lost her resolve to remain quiet. She let out a scream I swear could be heard all the way to California._

"_Soul, slow down! Please, you're gonna get us killed."_

"_You're funny. You can face horrible monsters and witches, but riding this motorcycle is really freaking you out."_

"_Don't make fun of me. I have a long life ahead of me."_

"_It's ok, Maka. I promise I know what I'm doing. It's not that different from playing an instrument, it's about rhythm and timing. It's just got a little more power to it and it doesn't sound as nice." I turned my head slightly so she could see how calm and self-assured I was, but all she did was scream at me to look where I was going._

_After about ten minutes in which I had successfully not killed either one of us I told her, "You don't have to hold on so tightly."_

_She said something I couldn't make out over the sound of the engine and eventually her hands clutching me relaxed a little._

_It even seemed like Maka was beginning to enjoy herself so I made the executive decision of taking a scenic route home rather than the more direct route. I wanted to get to savor the moment because it wasn't just the bike that was making it a great day. I was enjoying being able to do this for her. So often she was the boss, but this time I got to have her sit back and relax and trust that I was capable enough to see that everything would be ok._

_That day I was in charge and besides, it's not every day you get a free motorcycle and a cute girl to ride on it with._

"_Hey, Soul," she leaned forward to talk to me. "Thanks. This is really nice. My feet were killing me," and she kissed me behind my ear and it was that kiss that confirmed for me something I had been noticing recently. I was beginning to thrill at her touch, just that little peck sent shivers up and down me in a way no human contact ever had. It was official, I was totally digging her._

"_I told you when you bought those damn shoes that they would give you trouble."_

"_Yeah, I know, but I couldn't help it. They look __**so cool**__."_

"_You sound like me," I chuckled._

_Maka laughed. "Maybe you're rubbing off on me. I mean, I am on a stolen motorcycle without a helmet with a juvenile delinquent."_

"_I am __**not**__ a delinquent."_

"_Did you or did you not graffiti the alley by the bakery?"_

_Crap. I hadn't known she knew about that. I decided it was best to stay quiet and admit nothing._

"_Did you or did you not try to cheat on our midterm by writing crib notes all over your body?"_

_Again, I said nothing._

"_And did you not 'accidentally' come into my room the other day when I was changing?" It was then that I blushed._

"_I told you I was sorry about that. I swear it wasn't on purpose," I mumbled and she hugged me tighter and rested her cheek on the back of my shoulder._

"_It's ok. Just promise me you'll never do anything __**too **__stupid. I don't think I could survive without you."_

_I grinned. That's a pretty awesome thing to have the girl you like say to you. I wanted to take her hand and hold it, but both of mine were on the handlebars so I tipped my head and rested it on hers, instead._

"_Don't worry, Maka. I'm not going anywhere without you. Promise."_

My heart aches. I remember telling her that. How many times have I assured her I wouldn't vanish like her mom or Crona yet that's exactly what I'm doing. It sucks that I couldn't live up to my promise to her, but it goes to show that she was right.

I'm a bad influence. She can do a lot better and I hope she does. I hope someday I hear that she has a great new partner and an awesome boyfriend, who treats her great and never hides things from her and communicates with her in an open and honest fashion, but I'm not that guy and I never will be.


	12. Chapter 12: Alone

_**Risenfromash: **_Thanks for all the encouraging reviews!

_**Chapter 12: Alone**_

The Nevada desert isn't exactly the most beautiful place in the world, but if you get past the overbearing heat, the lack of vegetation and the sand that will inevitably find its way into your crouch you'll find it grows on you. Problem is that around Death City everything looks the same and Lord Death intentionally prohibited the making of roads or thoroughfares near the city. He wanted his city to be remote and rarely visited so that his activities and those of his students could remain "under the radar" of the world's leaders. And it has worked well; unless you happen to live in the Nevada desert somewhere in the immediate vicinity of Death City it's unlikely you've ever heard of the DWMA much less know that a bunch of demon hunters are running around the world saving your sorry ass from the forces of evil on an almost daily basis.

But there are major drawbacks to Lord Death's plan, one of which is that navigation away from Death City can be really challenging. Other than the sun chuckling above you, there are virtually no landmarks or road signs to help you to get around…just miles and miles of similar landscape and believe me once you've seen one tumbleweed you've seen them all. I'm amazed that my first year here I didn't end up dying of dehydration in the middle of the desert, but thankfully I've now mastered the trick to getting around and it is that you follow the sun and then turn to the east until you meet railroad tracks and then you follow _those_ to civilization.

I've been riding for a couple hours with the last half hour being next to the railroad tracks when I realize that something isn't right…my gas gauge says I'm getting low and I was at over a half a tank when I left Death City. I groan. Finding a place with fuel is such a pain in the ass and I'm sure there must be some kind of a problem with Brunhilde, because I can't possibly have burned through that much fuel that fast.

I spy a small diner up ahead and figure I'll stop, check out what's wrong with the bike, and grab a bite to eat. I was getting hungry anyways having thrown up everything in my guts before leaving Death City.

I pull to the side of the diner, dismount and jiggle the handlebars. I can hear gas slosh inside the tank, but not nearly as much as there should be. Brunhilde is very fuel efficient. Never having had this problem before I'm not quite sure what I'm looking for, but I start at the front of the bike and work my way back checking each component to see if something seems awry. Then I see it. Something moved. I glance at the bike and realize that what I saw out of the corner of my eye was a drip of something falling from the bike to the ground.

Fuck! There's a fucking hole in the gas tank! It looks like a spot of rust has gone full layer…how could I not have noticed this sooner? If I had chewing gum I could plug it temporarily, but, of course, I left that back home…er, at Maka's place. Fortunately, it isn't a super-fast leak, but it looks like I've been dripping fuel for miles. I grumble and curse for a few minutes and then decide that I may as well get some food in me before dealing with this catastrophe.

Even though the diner isn't near a train depot there are quite a few customers seated inside at booths or the lunch counter which makes me guess this is probably the only eatery for miles. The aroma from the kitchen is pleasant and the whole place has a genuinely friendly feel to it, unlike those "home-style" restaurants in Death City that mass produce "Grandma's cookin'"

I don't enjoy sitting at lunch counters- it's far too social for me, so even though I'm alone I find a booth in the corner and slide in, tossing my bag and guitar on the vinyl next to me.

A middle aged woman with hot pink lipstick and blue eye shadow comes over. "How's your morning?"

"K," is all I say in response. Why do people ask how your day is when you know they don't care and just want to hear that you're doing swell. Shinigami, I hate people.

"Let me tell ya about the special. We have chicken and waffles or surf and turf-"

I shake my head. Hearing those words is making me nauseous again. "I'm not feeling so hot…"

"Well then, let's start ya off with a nice tall glass of water. It even comes with ice at no extra charge. My name's Isabel."

She walks off and a moment later reappears with a tumbler of ice water and a menu that looks like it was created on an old-fashioned typewriter. "Take a look and give a holler when you're ready. The men's room is down the hall and to the right if you need it."

"Thanks."

As I guzzle down the water I realize that there was something missing from my survival kit. My fucking canteen…why wasn't it there? Oh, that's right. It got smashed that night we were outside of Baba Yaga Castle. I was _supposed_ to have asked for a new one at the school supply warehouse, but I totally forgot. No wonder I'm so fucking dehydrated. Maka always double checks our supplies before leaving on a mission. She would have noticed this, but I didn't. I guess I'm going to have to start doing a double check myself.

I glance at the menu. Pancakes- nope reminds me too much of Maka. We have…_had_ them religiously every Sunday morning. Reuben sandwich- sounds nasty when so thirsty. French Toast- maybe. Eggs Benedict- too fancy and not big enough. I need mass quantities. Hashbrowns and eggs- bingo.

I scan the restaurant for the waitress, but I don't see her or any other server. I wait a couple minutes before getting impatient enough to raising my hand and shout out a little, "Hey?"

I hear some clattering from the kitchen and another woman appears, this one much younger, blonde, and super skinny. I'm guessing she's in her early twenties or late teens…it's hard to tell.

"Hi," she says to me. "I'll take your order. Isabel had to run- her son got into a fight at school or something."

"Oh," I don't know how to respond to that so I just begin my order. "I'd like 2 scrambled eggs with cheese and a side of hashbrowns."

"Anything to drink?"

I debate for a moment and then tell her that I'd better stick with water. She nods, takes my menu, and then starts to walk away then stops suddenly.

"Oh, my Gawd! Is that yours?" I follow the trajectory of her finger. She is pointing at the guitar. "Do you play?"

I nod not sure why having a guitar is something to get excited about. It's a relatively easy instrument to play. I only took it up because it's nice to play something portable- you can't exactly strap a grand piano onto the back of the bike or fit one into our apartment…_former_ apartment, I mean. Maybe she really likes my guitar strap. It is super cool, black with white Lord Death masks printed on it. Black*Star got it for me for Christmas one year, though I suspect Maka had her hand in picking it out. It was too perfect a gift to have been bought by a dude for another dude.

My new server leans forward and smiles sweetly. "Oh, gosh! I bet you're good." I have no idea how one would go about accessing musical talent by looking at someone, but she's paid me a compliment so I feel like I _have_ to say something in return. Ugh. I hate small talk.

"I'm OK. Guitar is just something I do for fun. I'm actually a jazz pianist."

She blinks and I realize she may not be familiar with the term. I hope she doesn't think I just said something to her about my dick. "I play piano," I rush to explain. I wiggle my fingers as though playing an invisible keyboard. I don't talk to most people about my piano playing, but there is clearly no piano here so I don't have to worry that she will get any bright ideas about making me put on a concert.

"Will you play me something?"

"Sorry, no piano," I reply automatically. That worked out well.

She laughs as though I am _super_ funny. "No, _silly_! On the guitar! That's why you have it right?"

Why I have it is a good question. I had this vague idea that I could play on street corners in towns and make some cash, but I hate playing for other people and now I'm wishing I had left the damn thing outside on the bike. I only brought it in to prevent some idiot from walking off with it.

I sigh. This chick has made no move to take my order to the kitchen and I suspect she isn't going to until I play. Oh, well. Best get it over with.

"Ok, but just one song," I tell her. I try to think of something to play, but she isn't shy and blurts out a request.

"Do you know anything by Brutus Black?"

I blink. She likes country. Of course she does, she lives in the middle of nowhere and works at a greasy spoon. Stereotypes have to come from somewhere, right?

So much for playing _good_ music. Country is bad enough, but Brutus Black is by far _the_ worst blight on the soundwaves in the last twenty years.

Oh, well. I'm hungry and it seems inevitable that I should have to sing for my supper.

I slide out of the booth, stand up and toss the guitar strap over my back. As I position myself to play, I hear other customers hush one another so they can hear, too. I'm amazingly nervous considering that this is no Carnegie Hall, but it's been a long time since I've played for an audience and I'm counting on being good enough with my guitar to make some money until I can find a more respectable gig playing piano.

I start playing the only Brutus Black song I know well enough to play from memory, "Me and You and the Guy Down the Road." It's your classic tale of jealous rage complete with threats both to the other man and the woman which seems downright nasty to me, but it seems to get this girl hot for some reason. She prances around in front of me mouthing the lyrics as I sing.

"Wow, you can sing, too! You're aaaaaamazing."

I can only imagine what she'd say if she knew I can transform into a badass weapon, too.

Eventually, I get my food, but I'm never able to rid myself of her. Turns out her name is Becca she is almost twenty and likes horses, the color lime green, and her grandmother's knitting. She talks a lot which is OK because I'm too busy stuffing my face to say anything anyways, so I smile and nod and tell myself that this torture will only last for a little while longer and then I can once again be alone.

But Becca seems to have promoted herself to being my agent as every table she waits gets told that there is a talented travelling musician in their midst. I start sinking lower and lower into my seat. This is super embarrassing. Unlike a lot of modern day pop stars I play music because I feel driven to do it and it's a healthy outlet for all my stupid pent up frustration and sorrow. I don't do it for fame, fortune, or groupies and I figured since I mostly play classical and jazz I never needed to worry about becoming a sell-out, but now I appear to be well on my way to becoming a Brutus Black cover artist. I've got to get out of here!

Maybe I can toss my money on the table and make a run for it, but she hasn't brought me the bill and I fear that I might not leave the right amount. Plus, she is somehow managing to never take her eyes off me. How can she pour steaming hot coffee and be grinning at me at the same time? Pay attention to what you're doing, woman!

Finally, she brings me the bill and I happily plunk money into her hand, tell her to keep the tip and that it's been nice meeting her, but I gotta go and I stand up ready to make a run for it… and then I remember the damn bike.

"Oh, crap. I almost forgot. Do you have a blacksmith or a mechanist around here? I need something on my motorcycle worked on."

She quivers. "That's your bike?! _Oh, my Gawd!_"

Oh, Shinigami. She is into motorcycles, too. I will _never_ escape.


	13. Chapter 13: Making Do

**Risenfromash: **I have decided to name each chapter in the way the anime names episodes (with a title and then some weird ass statement in the form of a question. Why? Because I think it's funny. And should any of you think that I'm dising country music unfairly- that's Soul's opinion, not mine. In my old age I've actually found myself listening to country music more and more…

**Chapter 13: Making Do; Fear of Loneliness Wrecks Best Plans?**

Becca referred me to a local guy, Tommy, who does metal crafting nearby in the town of Cactus Creek. I was told that his workshop was at the far end of Main Street, which was the only real street in town and that it would be obvious that I was in the right place as he tended to park a lot of his half-done projects in the yard in front of his shop.

I ride Brunhilde slowing down Main Street past a pharmacy with sparsely stocked shelves, a fire station, a thrift shop, a tack shop, and a dentist office until a crappy-looking shack that was probably a warehouse of some kind ages ago emerges at the end of the road. Out front are parts from trains, washing machines, and, I swear to Death, parts of a nuclear submarine, but maybe a wee bit of the madness is still lingering making me imagine things.

Sizing up the place I find myself desperately hoping that this guy is better at fixing things than he is at maintaining his workshop, because I'm no neat freak but this is ridiculous. I park Brunhilde outside the chain link fence that surrounds the workshop. The fence's bent hinges make it so the rusty gate is stuck in the open position. I take a step through the gate cautiously remembering that crazy golem creator Maka, Crona, and I fought with in the Czech Republic. If this guy is anything like him I'm just gonna buy a really big pack of chewing gum and hope that gum will hold it till Vegas.

"Hey, Tommy?"

From a dark corner I see sparks flying and the tink, tink of a blacksmith at work. "Hello?" I shout louder and the sound stops and a man emerges from behind a pile of gears. He is wearing a welder's mask and is short and wide and extremely hairy. From a distance one could mistake him for a gorilla except for the mask and the fact he has some kind of tool in his hand and I don't think our cousins in the jungles are that evolved yet.

"You Tommy?"

"Yeah, whatcha want?" he seems rushed but not unfriendly.

"Great. I've got a motorcycle I need to have repaired. She's got a hole in the gas tank and she's dripping fuel. Becca sent me. She said you could probably help me."

He grunts. "Let me see her." I walk out of the yard and grab Brunhilde and roll her into the gated yard. Compared to the rusted heaps here she looks like a gem.

He lifts up his protective mask and leans over to peer at the hole. He takes a big dirty finger and brushes the rusty spot delicately. "Do I gotta make her look pretty?"

"No. Battle scars only add character. I just need her to be functional as soon as possible. I'm headed to Vegas."

"Well, then I can fix 'er easy. I can weld a piece of metal about the size of a playin' card over the rusty spot. Like the way you patch a hole in a bicycle tire or a raft, 'cept with metal. If that's ok with you."

"Sounds good."

"But, I have sommother jobs I gotta finish up first so I can't get it done till tomorrow. That ok?"

I nod. Beggars can't be choosy, after all, but I was unrealistically hoping I'd be out of this town before nightfall. He takes a few bucks from me as the down payment for the repair and tells me I can pay the rest when I pick up which is excellent since I don't have much money. As I leave the yard I pat Brunhilde's handle bars. If something happens to her I will be truly alone.

Strolling down Main Street I try to decide what to do with the time I now have on my hands. I find a green space ("park" is a bit of an overstatement for a grassy patch with three trees) and I sit down and start strumming the guitar…there's nothing else to do. At home I'd snooze or play a video game or just space out, but when I try to relax I'm too preoccupied with thoughts about Maka. Damn it, I already miss her. If she were here I'm sure she'd be making fun of me for being nervous about leaving Brunhilde and patting my hand like a nervous father dropping their child off for at school for the first time or she'd be laying out our plan of attack on Vegas…which clubs to hit and in which order. She'd be coming up with covert ways to learn whose piano players suck so I could go show off my skills. 'Cause that's what we do…er…_did_. We…_were_ a team.

Thinking about this is depressing so I get up and head back to the Cluttered Kitchen. The least I can do is let Becca know that I found Tommy and appreciate both of them helping me out. I stop at the pharmacy and pick up the latest issue of my favorite comic, Skeletoxin. He's this dude that accidentally fell into vat of caustic preservative. It melted away his flesh so now he looks like a reanimated skeleton, but he's super powerful, can spit acid, and has a way with the ladies. If I'd known I was gonna be having time to kill in this one horse town I would have brought some back issues with me rather than bequeathing them all to Black*Star.

The bell dings as I enter the café and I hear a squeal that has already become familiar to me.

"So, what'd Tommy say? Can he fix it?" Becca inquires from behind the counter.

"Yeah, he said it shouldn't be a problem, but it won't be done till tomorrow afternoon at the earliest."

"Oh, that's too bad," she says scurrying from behind the counter to come greet me.

"Yeah, I was really hoping to cover some ground today, but whadda ya do?"

The bell dings again and Becca frowns at me, an indication that she has to attend to customers and I breathe a sigh of relief and go sit down at the empty booth in the corner where I can observe the goings on, read my comic, or watch the TV mounted on the wall in the other corner. Right now a talk show is playing. Yuck! The topic involves baby daddies and cheating…I wonder if anyone would mind if I change it.

"Hi!" Becca appears before me without her apron. "It's my break."

I nod and say nothing. She comes next to me and swats me, "Scoot over."

I reluctantly slide over wondering why I couldn't have left well enough alone and have stayed at the park.

"Oh, I love this show! Have you been paying attention?"

I shake my head knowing that I'm now going to hear all about it. "Well, you see that blonde girl there? That's her boyfriend and he says he hasn't been with that other girl since before they were together, but I think the DNA is going to show that both her three year old and the baby she's carrying right now are his. I think she's had a thing on the side with him the whole time which is terrible because she knew he was with the other girl. Don't you think that's awful? I had a boyfriend who cheated on me. It was the worst-"

She continues to ramble on but I'm able to mentally mute her and then she's much more pleasant to be around. She's not bad to look at and the more excited she is the more her tits jiggle which is something, I guess. But, she wears entirely too much eye makeup. I hate that. Why do girls insist on globbing crap on their faces? I mean, I get it if you have a zit or a hickey to cover up or some gnarly scar, which is not all that uncommon at the DWMA, but this girl is really pretty she doesn't need all that stuff.

"Whatcha looking at me like that for?"

"Huh? Oh, sorry. I guess I was kinda spacing out."

"Long day, huh?"

"Yeah, you could say that."

"You want a coffee to help keep ya awake?"

"Naw that's ok. I'm a tea guy."

"Really? That isn't too girly for you?"

"No way. That's what the samurais drank. That and sake and I figure you probably don't have any of that around."

She smiles at me. "Nope, no sake, but I bet I could roust up a tea bag from the back room…if you tell me your name."

Oh, wow. I never introduced myself…that would be kind of embarrassing if I had been trying to make friends or hit on her or something, but since all I've been trying to do is get to Vegas I guess it's understandable.

"I'm…" I pause. I have a new life. I figure I could use a new name, too. "Rory."

As soon as I say the name aloud I _hate_ it. _Rory?!_ Where the fuck did that come from? Ugh. Oh, well. It's a little hard to make up another one now.

"Rory?! Oh, I love that name." That makes one of us. "Nice to meet you, Rory. I'll bring you some tea in a sec."

Becca brings me a cup of tea and sits across from me sucking a soda pop from an old fashioned glass bottle. I can't help but notice the way her lips hug the curves at the bottles tip. I much prefer her lips when they are doing this instead of flapping about stupid talk show guests. I ask her if there is a hotel anywhere nearby or if I can camp in the park.

"I don't mind sleepin' under the stars."

"Oh, wow! I'm way too scared of scorpions to do that!"

I shrug. On the list of things I'm scared of scorpions aren't as high as Maka's wrath, the Kishin, and Stein's final exams.

"But, my matress pad is crappy so if there were someone with a couch I could crash on-"

For a second I think she is going to invite me to her place and that makes me a little nervous for some reason, but instead she tells me that Isabel sometimes lets out her spare room and Becca and the cook, Henry, both seem to think it shouldn't be a problem for me to stay there. They even contact their boss to see if it would be ok for me to play in the restaurant and earn a little money that way. After dickering with him for a while we settle on him getting 10 percent of anything I earn as long as I'm willing to stay till close and help mop the floors and do dishes.

I play off and on throughout the afternoon taking requests. The old folks like swing tunes and bluegrass, the younger folks want me to somehow reproduce death metal on my acoustic guitar which I explain won't turn out that well, but everyone seems pretty happy and they are generous with their spare change. I have to admit that Becca had a good idea…if I do this tomorrow morning I'll end up with more than enough to get me to Vegas.

At the end of the night, Becca turns off the neon open sign and the cook heads out and the two of us are left alone with a mountain of dirty dishes. She claims the floor mop has a trick handle and will spontaneously fall apart if you don't have the right feel for it so I let her mop while I scrub dishes and dishes and more dishes.

"Did no one clean dishes today?" I shout.

"Naw, it's part of my job, but I was too busy talking you up," she shouts back as she mops by some of the booths.

"Well, thanks."

"No prob. Oh, I put your comic in your bag and hung them over by the fire extinguisher. Hope you don't mind."

"Naw, that's fine. They're probably safer there."

"This place is much funner with you around," she says as she pretends to ice skate on the wet floor.

"I don't think I've really done anything…"

"Of course you have. You've brought music and life into the place."

"For a day."

"What do you mean?"

"Tomorrow the bike will be ready and I'll head out."

"Oh, Vegas. Right…"

"Yeah, if you're ever in Vegas you'll have to look me up."

She stops mopping. "So, you're leaving tomorrow afternoon?"

"As soon as the bike's done."

"You got family in Vegas?"

"No. No one. It's a whole new start for me."

"Lucky you," she mutters sadly and turns to mop in front of the door.


	14. Chapter 14: Decisions, Decisions

**Risenfromash:**__This was an especially challenging chapter for me to write, but I'm really looking forward to polishing up the parts that come afterward (SoMa!)

_**Chapter 14: Decisions, decisions; Flirtation breeds contempt?**_

It's been almost a week since I ended up more or less stranded here in Cactus Creek, Nevada. The first day I was planning to sleep out under the stars, but then I remembered that the DWMA's idea of a mattress pad is a wimpy foam thing and so I ended up staying with Isabel one of the diner employees while waiting for my bike to get a hunk of metal welded over the hole in her gas tank. It's not a big job but for some reason the guy who is supposed to be doing it has made one excuse after another for why it _still_ isn't done.

I stomp into the Cluttered Kitchen after another unsuccessful negotiation with the local welder, Tommy.

"What'd Tommy say this time?" Isabel asks as she pours one of the regulars a cup of coffee.

"He said that something came up! And I told him that my foot would be coming up his ass if he doesn't get it done today. This is ridiculous. He even offered to give me the money I paid him back and I said it's not about the money. I need my bike."

I slump into my favorite booth and Becca appears in front of me with a cup of tea.

"Maybe this will help," she seems unusually timid for some reason, probably because she's not used to seeing me pissed off. I forget that some people don't know what a grouchy asshole I am. This temper tantrum would not have fazed Maka in the slightest. She's used to my mood swings.

"I'm sure Tommy will get it done tomorrow. I'll talk to him and tell him how important it is to you."

Yeah, maybe it takes having tits to get him to cooperate. I don't know. I'm just annoyed. I should already be in Vegas auditioning for gigs.

Business is unusually slow today both for food and songs, but I hang around helping Isabel, Henry, and Becca out when I can because I appreciate all the help they've been giving me , but by afternoon, I'm more or less bored out of my mind. The only customers in the place are some sports fans who are watching a ball game on the wall mounted TV and have been nursing the same cups of coffee for the past hour.

"Rory, can you come help me? These bags of flour weigh a ton and I'm beat," Becca shouts from the storage room. Henry is as absorbed in the game as the folks sitting at the lunch counter so I shout that I got it and head through the little gate in the counter back to the storage room.

I step into the room and the door shuts behind me. Becca is sitting on the deep freeze as I start looking around for the crap she wants me to lift.

"Did you need help?" I ask her confused as I don't see bags of flour anywhere. As I'm facing her, she spreads her legs giving me a view up her mini skirt. Oh, Death. She doesn't have any panties on! How did this happen? Does she know? I stand transfixed for a moment and she grins mischievously at me. Oh, so she does know.

"Come here, you!" she squeals pulling me towards her. I'm not stupid. I've known that she's been flirting with me, but I was not expecting anything like this because I'm pretty sure stuff like this only happens in porn movies and really, really good dreams. Awkwardly, I step towards her and start to wrap my arms around her. She can tell that I'm nervous, but all she does is giggle and ask, "Have you never done this before?"

I shake my head.

"How does that happen? How does a sexy guy like you not have girls every day of the week?" she whispers into my ear. Her hot breath so close to me sends little tingles down my spine. I'm pretty sure no one has ever called me 'sexy' before and I like it. This girl wants me! It's so awesome.

"Bec, aren't you worried that Henry will walk in on us?"

She laughs at me like I'm an amateur. "Naw. He's a _huge_ Jaybirds fan. Ain't nothin' gonna pull him away from that TV."

Her tongue laps the edge of my ear and I find my body immediately responding. I am getting so turned on so fast. I close my eyes and let her do what she will. As her tongue continues to explore my ear her legs wrap around me, her ankles crossing behind me so that I'm trapped, but I don't feel any urge to run. I put my hand on the outside of her thigh just under the hem of her skirt as she unbuttons her blouse and throws it open so that I can see the lacey pink and white bra she is wearing. It has a tiny, little pink bow in the middle. Her chest may be one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen.

The nervousness starts to melt away and driven by instinct, I lean in to kiss her. Her lips are soft and feel better than I imagined they could; my hand slides higher up her leg.

Her hands have found my belt and she is loosening it. I can't believe this is happening, I'm gonna be leaving town tomorrow…but I desperately need to get over Maka. Maybe after this I'll realize that all those feelings I _thought_ I had for her were nothing more than the last vestiges of those silly crushes you have in elementary school or sexual frustration that needed a release I wasn't getting from her.

Fuck! Why am I thinking about Maka?! My lips pause and Bec begins to slowly and sensually plant kisses on my neck. I'm starting to freak out a little. Being here like this and thinking about Maka is making me short circuit.

What is my problem? I'm a hornball. I'm full of hormones and wild oats, right? I want to lose my virginity, right? It has to happen sometime and who better than with this sweet girl who is offering _no _mixed messaging. This will definitely be consentual. This girl wants me and she's already half naked so all I should be doing is getting busy having a little goodbye sex.

But something is bugging me. I try desperately to shut off whatever disturbance is rattling around in my brain. Is it losing my virginity while being surrounded by cartons of pie tins and napkins? Naw, who cares about setting? We're alone- that's all that matters and Bec is super hot and, oh Death, she is running her hand up my shirrrttttt…that feels so good.

But, she likes country music for Death's sake…and she talks a _lot_…and then there's that damn eye makeup. But I'm not becoming her boyfriend. We're just hooking up before I hit the road and she knows that, so no worries. Remember, Soul, this is what you wanted so be a man and hump. That's all you need to do.

"Oh, Rory," she moans. I feel her hand slide into my pants and she gently gives me a squeeze. I let out a groan and lean in to kiss her again.

"Oh, Gawd, Rory. I love you!"

I freeze. Did she just say she _loved_ me? _No, no, no_! This is supposed to be uncomplicated fucking, not anything more. This girl and I have _nothing_ in common. She doesn't even know my real name. She doesn't know anything about me!

I pull back as much as I can with her hand still down the front of my pants. "Um, Bec?"

I like Becca and she is smokin' hot, but if she's doing this cause she loves me and she thinks I'm going to be sticking around to play house with her or something there's a big, big problem. I'm headed to Vegas as soon as that idiot patches Brunhilde. That's the plan and that isn't changing.

"Is there something you want?" She asks me breathlessly. Oh, Death! She has got to go into the adult entertainment industry; her performance of "country-girl-ready-for-a-roll-in-the-haystack" would be an award winner.

She knows I'm hesitating, but she doesn't seem bothered by it. She pulls her hands out of my pants and touches my face.

"It's normal to be nervous your first time, sweetie, but you don't need to worry. You seem good to go to me," she says running her hand on the outside of my pants where my cock is standing at attention wondering what the fuck the rest of me is waiting around for.

"Yeah, well…it doesn't take much," I say and her smile sags and I rush to counteract my moment of foot-in-mouth disease. "I mean, I'm a guy… not that you're not great…"

She isn't looking super happy. I'm blowing this. First, I blow my relationship with Maka because we don't do anything sexual and I don't even have the guts to admit to her I want her that way and then I find a girl who is good to go and I'm an idiot who can't go with the flow and just have fucking sex with her?! Oh, Death, kill me now and put me out of my misery!

I take a deep breath. Stein told me once that the best advice he could offer his students was to tell us never to forget to breath. "Becca, you understand I'm gonna leave for Vegas as soon as I can, right?"

"Yeah, yeah, of course."

"Oh, OK. I thought maybe you-"

"I thought maybe I'd come with you…I could help you find gigs and stuff."

There it is. This isn't meaningless sex. She tried to disguise it as that by staging this little tryst in the backroom of the restaurant, but she thinks we have something and she doesn't even know me…not the _real _me. She likes Rory. The perfect guy she has created in her head, the one who actually enjoys Brutus Black songs and thinks her eye makeup looks classy.

"Bec, you don't know anything about me."

"What do you mean?"

"I haven't been entirely honest about things. My name's not Rory. It's Soul."

She shrugs. "Is that all? All artists have fake names. Stage names they call it. I don't mind." Her face plunges towards mine her lips sucking on my bottom lip. "Gawd, you are so sexy…ror-Soul! I can't wait to scream your name-"

I gulp. She is so hot, but I can't do this to her. I don't feel like that about her. This sucks.

"I think you should know my life is complicated," I say as she kisses my neck.

She giggles. "You're a musician. You're supposed to be tortured. I'll make sure you never get too depressed."

I guess there's no way to tell her. I just have to show her. I close my eyes and transform.

She gasps, "You're a Demon Weapon!"

There. That should make her think twice about falling in love with me. I belong to one of the most misunderstood and persecuted minorities in existence. I transform back into my human form.

Her eyes narrow as she sizes me up. "The eyes and the teeth make more sense now," she says, processing. "But you're not going to fight Demons anymore?"

I shake my head.

"Isn't it like your duty or something?"

I shrug. She hops off the freezer and pulls me close to her. She's taller than me so my face rests on the pillow of her bosom.

"Why are you running away to Vegas, Soul?"

"My partner and I-"

A look of dawning appears on her face. "The girl in your wallet and your bag- the one with the ponytails."

I nod. She must have seen the photographs when I've been rummaging through my bag for other things or that day she put my Skeletoxin comic away for me.

"I've been trying to convince myself she's your sister, but she isn't, is she?" Her face screws up into a sneer.

I shake my head again.

"So, she's what, your girlfriend? Ex? Fiancé?"

"Naw, nothing like that. She's my… _was_ my best friend and partner."

"Did she _die_ or something?"

"Shinigami, I hope not! No, she should still be in Death City fightin' the good fight."

She chews on her lip as she listens to me talk. "And you're hung up on her?"

I look at my feet. "I guess, but I like you. I do…and-"

"And you think screwing me will help you get over her."

When she says it like that I feel like a real shit.

"So, you two never went out?" she continues.

I shake my head.

"You never _made_ out with each other?"

Again, I shake my head. "Nope. We just spent a lot of time together at school and at our apartment."

"You _lived_ together?!" She clutches her chest and starts hyperventilating.

"It's not like we shared a bed or anything!" I rush to explain. "All students are housed with their partners. It's a crazy academy rule."

"Wait, let me get this straight. You liked ponytail girl and spent a ton of time with her and never told her…"

"Yeah, something like that."

All thought of sex now appears forgotten by her even though I am standing here in my boxers with my pants around my ankles and my face firmly held in between her two beautiful breasts. This has to be among my weirdest experiences ever and it sucks that I've killed the mood because now that I've told her the truth, I finally feel genuinely close to her.

A shout from the customers at the lunch counter brings Becca back to the real world and our opportunity for a quickie is over. She runs up front to see what's going on, buttoning her blouse as she goes. I take an extra moment to do up my pants as my quickly softening cock wonders what went wrong.

I wonder what all the commotion is about. The local sport fans are up in arms about something.

"Can you believe this?" One of them shouts. "They interrupted the game for some damn bombing at that crazy demon school!"

In horror, I look up at the TV. The words "Breaking News" are plastered behind a stern looking news anchorwoman who says, "We have confirmed reports of a terrorist attack at the DWMA, the remote school run by the man known to the world only as Lord Death. We do not have casualty numbers, but-"

They begin to play a video feed from a chopper above the school. There are things flying around dropping explosives on the academy and smoke is pouring from the building. Students, the size of ants due to the distance, are seen running this way and that trying to dodge explosions. They're all so small that I can't identify them, but there's no doubt that they are people I care about.

I have to go back. I have to make sure my friends are alright. I have to help Lord Death take revenge those who would attack the school.

"You should go," she says.

I nod. I realize now how stupid I was to think I could walk about from Maka and all the other people who mean so much to me and start a totally new life. They're as much a part of me as my music. I'm so stupid. What was I thinking?

Becca's eyes are tearing and I feel really bad to be leaving her like this, but I've got to go. I was always going to leave her. I'm not really Rory and I don't belong in Cactus Creek.

"So much for getting the bike fixed," I grumble. Hopefully, I can make it back to Death City before I completely run out of fuel.

"Bec, this isn't about you. You're really sweet."

"No, I'm not," she says not making eye contact with me.

I give her a hug. "I'll come back. We can talk about things. We can pick up where we left off."

"No, you won't. You and I both know you want _her_."

"No, I…"

"Don't lie to me!"

I shut my mouth so abruptly I end up biting my tongue.

She grumbles, "It's ok, Rory…I mean, Soul…I wasn't entirely honest with you either," and in my hand she places the key to Brunhilde. I stare at it.

A tear rolls down her cheek. "I paid Tommy to say he hadn't finished it. I wanted to keep you here with me. I'm sorry."

Now it all makes so much more sense. Poor, Tommy I've been bitching him out for days and it was her all along. I should be really mad, but I'm too flattered to be upset.

"You can do a ton better than me. I swear."

She rolls her eyes at me. "Go find ponytail girl, you lying sack of shit."

"Thanks, Bec. Thank you so much…and her name is Maka, by the way" I say as I grab the key from her hand and head out of Cactus Creek.

I don't stop to get my stuff from Isabel's. Even my guitar gets left behind. Maybe Becca will get lucky and find someone who actually enjoys playing Brutus Black for her or maybe she'll smash it to smithereens. Honestly, I don't care because right now I've got way bigger problems than girl trouble. I gotta get back to the DWMA, make sure Maka is ok, and help her and all my other friends kick some ass.


	15. Chapter 15: Love in a War Zone

**Chapter 15: Love in the War Zone; Do Feelings Cancel Hate?**

Behind me shoots a huge dust cloud as I push Brunhilde to the limit in my rush to return to Death City. Having seen footage of the devastation on the DWMA I am full of fears. Is Maka ok? Have people been be there. I shouldn't have left. I let everyone down…Maka most of all. Any time I think of her in that chaos without me…doing it alone or with another weapon I feel sick. She's tough, but I'm her best friend and her weapon so my _job_ was to protect her, _aide_ her, _support_ her, let her realize all the crazy-ass potential she has locked inside not run from her when shit gets complicated.

_I'm such an iddddiiiiioooottttt! _I spent all that time worrying about her and making sure I'm _always_ her partner and then what do I do? I fucking run away from her. Nice one, Soul. This is the dumbest thing I've ever done. It _far_ surpasses the time I stuck that metal bowl in the microwave and is even dumber than that notorious incident when Black*Star and I got so shitfaced that we returned to my apartment and couldn't figure out why my key wouldn't work in my door and beat on the door for twenty minutes before Maka heard us and came downstairs to tell us we were on the wrong fucking floor of the apartment building.

Wow! And you wonder why she's not into you.

What I did was totally and completely wrong and now I _have_ to make it right.

I crank the accelerator harder to give her more gas, but I'm already going as fast as Brunhilde can go.

_Shinigami, I need you to give me the chance to make this right. I have some things I need to say to her. I __**need**__ to apologize. I need her to know that I've been scared. She knows I'm a chicken shit when it comes to relationships. People stress me out, even her sometimes. I freaked out. I made a bad call, and I want the chance to make it right. Please, Lord, give me that chance. Oh, and please let all my friends be ok, but especially her cause I screwed up with her big time._

Eventually, I am chanting four words over and over again. "Maka, please don't be dead. Maka, please don't be dead." The words become my mantra. I want everyone to be OK, but she _has_ to be ok. If she has been hurt or…I can't think of it. I can't think of what I will do if I don't get to hold her again or feel her wield me.

_Maka, I'm on my way. I will find you. I will do everything in my power to make this right. Just, remember our promise to Stein. We won't die. I'm not so great at keeping promises, but Maka, you gotta keep that one for him __**and**__ me._

I have no sense of the passage of time as I fly across the sandy ground. The events of the past week all seem so surreal. Did I really just make out with some other chick? Becca seems a world away, like Cactus Creek was some other dimension of reality. I am once again completely immersed in life as a Demon Weapon. It's who I am and I was wrong to run from it.

I start noticing that the air has a thickness it doesn't normally have. It's gotta be smoke from the fires. It's giving the air a hazy quality and as I get closer to DC it even stings my eyes a little. The city must be a mess. I can see spirals of smoke rising from the city center. The academy!

As I enter the outskirts of the city I find the streets eerily vacated. I don't see any students or faculty here, just some citizens with suitcases and bags heading out of town. Looks like they've decided to chance their luck in the desert rather than stay here. That's bad. If people are bailing from their homes things are seriously fucked up.

The market square which should be filled with throngs of people purchasing produce and trinkets is abandoned. Stalls stand fully stocked with no salespeople anywhere to be seen. It seems that bombs are still getting dropped as I hear a weird whirring noise and look up to discover something headed my way. It looks like an Easter Egg with a lit fuse attached. I yank the handlebars to veer to the right and almost hit a mailbox but I get lucky and swerve back at the last second narrowly missing both the mailbox and the egg bomb.

It's treacherous driving the bike through here, but it's the most direct route to the school and that's where I'm headed because even though it's Saturday I'm betting that as soon as the attack started Maka ran to the school to help defend it from the invaders.

I zig zag through the town's narrow cobblestone streets till I reach the base of the huge staircase that leads up to the main entrance of the school. I hear a familiar loud popping sound and recognize it as the rthymic blasting of Death the Kid's guns. Evidently, he has once again partnered with his favorite ladies. I dump Brunhilde and run up the stairs two at a time. At the top of the stairs on the large veranda in front of the entryway I find Kid and Black*Star fighting off some kind of weird bird creatures that are dropping a similar, but different type of egg bomb. But Maka isn't with them. Looking up to the school's balconies I can make out some other meisters, but I don't see Maka anywhere.

"Hey, look who decided to come back and steal some of my glory? Welcome back, Drop Out!" Black*Star shouts as he flips himself through the air hitting a bomb in midair in an effort to have it explode harmlessly in the air rather than on the school itself. It appears to be quite the trick to hit it and get the fuck away fast enough to not have him or Tsubaki hurt.

"Thanks for joining us," Kid says sailing through the air on his board narrowly missing an egg bomb that blasts a couple inches below him.

"Where's Maka?" I ask.

She's supposed to be _here_ duking it out with the forces of evil. God damn! There's no way she'd be at the apartment…

"My Soul Perception…" Kid pauses to do a flip on his hoverboard as he approached one of the bird things. "Puts her in the northwest quadrant of town."

"What the fuck's she doing there?" That's probably the part of DC we venture into the least. There isn't a lot of interest there.

"I don't know, but she's surrounded by a lot of souls very new to this world and several of the enemy."

"Who's with her?"

"No one from the academy." He is too in the moment to sugar-coat the news. Fuck! She's fighting alone. What is she thinking? I'm gonna kick her ass myself.

"We can hold them here. Go find her," Kid instructs me as one of the Thompson sisters transforms into a double barrel firearm.

"Here, you'll go faster on this," he jumps off the hoverboard and gives it a little kick so it sails over to me as he lands on the ground, one knee and one hand meeting the earth. I wonder if he took gymnastics, because those moves are nothing they've toward us here at the DWMA. I hop on the board. "And take Patty with you," he says tossing me a pistol that is saying,"Wheeeeeeee" as it flies my way.

I lean to the left with the board and manage to catch the gun and it giggles happily.

"Good catch!" Patty says.

"Kid, I don't know how to shot a gun." Sure, I've seen him do it a million times and I play first person shooters and stuff, but I've never fired a gun in real life.

He appears amused as he lines up for a shot with Liz. "Don't worry. Patty will take care of you. _Now go!"_

As I start to sail around the academy I remember there's something else I've never done. I've never ridden on Kid's hoverboard before and as soon as I realize that I start shaking a little. Riding Brunhilde for the first time was easy. On a motorcycle you get to sit and you've got something to hold on to. Sure, I had to figure out that the clutch and gears were on one side and the gas on the other, but I felt in control. On this thing there's no handlebars and the slightest little nuance of movement and the thing goes that direction. It's like surfing without a wave. I find myself clutching onto Patty in gun form and wishing she'd trade places with me as she has more experience with this thing, but instead she's just squealing and shouting things at me like "watch out for the restroom sign" and "don't hit that trash can!"

I'm headed to the lesser known small staircase that leads from the academy to the northeast corner of town. I can't imagine why Maka would be there. Our apartment isn't in that quadrant and it isn't like her to not have come running to defend the school.

Fortunately, once we turn a corner on the DWMA campus the path widens and I breathe a sign of relief that hopefully the worst part of this roller coaster ride is over for me.

"I'm so glad you've come back!" Patty says. "Now you get to save Maka. It's sooooo romantic!"

I groan, "I'm doing my duty as her weapon."

"Uh, huh. You can keep saying that, but we all know better. You l-o-v-e _LOVE_ her. You're gonna get married and have a ton of babies aren't you?"

Out of irritation I inhale deeply and end up choking on the smoke. Coughing, I internally curse Kid for choosing to keep Liz with him and giving me the kooky one of the sisters as my back up.

"We're going to help her, you and me both. I'm sure she doesn't even need our help. But it's my duty to make sure."

Patty giggles. "That's right! Cause a damsel in distress is not your type. You like the feisty-"

"Patty, have you noticed we're under attack? Could we talk about my love life later and strategize now?"

She lets out a sigh like my request is a great imposition on her. "You and Kid take things _way_ too seriously."

I work to steer both the hoverboard and the conversation in more useful directions. "Ya got any idea why Maka might be over here by herself?"

"Nope. Not unless there was a poetry reading or something. She's been writing a _ton _of really emo poems since you left. There was this one that was really graphic about a person's heart being ripped out. She said it was inspired by Crona's life with Medusa but we all knew better. It was about how you broke her heart."

"Wonderful. That's really helpful right now, Patty."

"Thanks!" She says completely oblivious to my sarcasm as she right back up on her loopy train of thought. "Of course, she knew where you were the whole time. Her and Kid have been using their Soul Perception twenty-four seven to make sure you were ok."

I sail down the staircase wondering how Kid can stand this attitude in moments of extreme stress? I think I might slice Patty if she doesn't shut up.

Now at the bottom of the stairs in a small residential area I tell her, "We know she's around here somewhere so let's _**be quiet**_ and concentrate on looking for anything suspicious. You look right and I'll look left."

"Right-O, Capt'in!"

We cruise around several blocks looking around for any sign of conflict or large groupings of people.

"Soul, I hear something down that alley," Her torso pops out of the gun for a second to point me in the right direction.

I do a one –eighty and go back to the intersection she indicated.

"It sounds like crying."

I strain my ears and then I begin to hear it, too, and she's right it sounds like kids crying.

"Let's check it out."

"You got a good hold on me?" Patty asks.

"I think so. If I need to shout I just squeeze your trigger right?"

"Exactamundo!"

"Do I have to use my pinky?"

"Naw, Kid does that cause he's a big ole dork and wants to look cool. He thinks it makes him more symmetrical. He's such a goof. "

She can call him whatever names she wants but her admiration for her meister is obvious whenever she talks about him. Having pride in our partners is something we both share.

"OK, here goes."

We continue to use the hoverboard, but I've slowed our pace so that we are creeping. I can tell from the noise there is a crowd up ahead in the street. I hug the side of a building and peer around the corner to see what's up.

Patty and I both take a quick glance. We spy several bird mages more or less surrounding a bunch of kids. Most of them look to be preschoolers, maybe six at most. I see Maka in front of the kids standing between them and a birdman.

"I will not let you take them without a fight. Your fight is with Lord Death and the DWMA. It's shameful to involve innocents. These kids are so young that even if they _had_ magic it wouldn't have awakened yet."

One of the bird losers caws at her, "Now, now. You can't possibly believe you have any power over what we do."

"No, but I have power over what _I _do and I say you don't take kids as hostages without fighting me."

The birdman who appears to be in charge chuckles back at her. "Looks to me like we've already won. I don't see what damage you can do with your hands tied behind your back."

Fuck! They have her and I see no other grown-ups or DWMA students around. I do a head count. Seven bird dudes, something like twenty six or twenty eight kids, and three DWMA students, one meister without a weapon with her hands bound and two weapons who have little experience wielding one another. This is gonna be interesting.


	16. Chapter 16: When Your Hands are Tired

**Risenfromash: **I apologize that I'm not very good at writing action sequences. This may be in part because they also aren't one of my favorite things to read- I tend to just skim over them when I read, but at any rate don't worry SoMa is on the way

_**Chapter 17: When Your Hands are Tied; Can Endangering the Endangered Bring Peace?**_

It is not easy for me to stand by seeing my meister outnumbered. These bird people must be tougher than they look if they've been able to apprehend her; even without a weapon she's not one to go down without one helluva fight.

"Soul, it's not your fault," Patty says to me. Hearing another weapon forgive me makes me feel a little better, even though I can't help but feel responsible. My job is to keep her safe. That's the way it works and I let her down.

"You know Maka does what Maka wants," she continues. "She could have gotten another weapon if she thought she needed to. She could have run."

I grin. Maka running from the enemy, that's something, I don't think I've ever seen.

I shake my head in disbelief. "I can't believe they have her. Her punches are terrible."

"I think she saves the worst ones for you," Patty says matter of factly.

"That I would believe…So, ya got any ideas?"

"We gotta try to get closer and see how many of them there are. If we hide behind something till we have a clear shot we probably have a chance to take them down."

"Sounds good."

I step off the hoverboard and peer around the corner holding Patty, in gun form, close to my chest in the way I've seen action heroes in the movies. I wonder whether I look studly doing this or if it's obvious I've a newb at this.

The kids are scattered about the street in small clumps in front of a building adorned with a colorful sign proclaiming, "Auntie Em's PlayPlace DC's Best Drop-In Day Care Open every Saturday and Sunday for your convenience." The bird people must have gotten all the kids that were in there to come out into the street which seems like a pretty crappy plan to me as my very limited experience with large groups of small children is that getting them to do anything you tell them to is like herding a bunch of cats. Now the street is chaotic as some of the kids are unruly and resisting orders from the bird people and other kids are petrified with terror and seem incapable of doing as they are told. One group of little, little kids all seem to be bawling hysterically and the birdman nearest them looks like he would be happy to relinquish his post at any moment to rid himself of the headache. Then there is a cluster of tots with a couple of older kids who seem to be trying to protect the little ones who are probably their younger siblings and smack dab in the middle of it all there are a few kids that seem completely oblivious that they are in any kind of danger. Instead, they are happily driving little toy carts up and down the tiny groove that runs around each of the street's cobblestones, proving to me once again that kids are nuts.

The good news is that with this much going on the kids' captors will be easily distracted. They already seem a little overwhelmed. Perhaps, by choosing kids as their hostages they have bit off more than they can chew.

A few yards from me are some recycle bins and bags of garbage that I might be able to get to and hide behind if something distracts the birdmen. I wait a few moments until an especially loud wail from one of the children attracts the attention of the hostage takers. I use that moment to haul ass behind those piles of crap hoping that no one saw me darting from one hiding spot to another. I seem to have made it without being seen, though I feel like I'm panting so loudly that I'll give myself away.

There is still a lot obstructing my view, but I can now see Maka more clearly. She is standing in front of one of the bird men, an ostrich looking one with a thin, fuzzy neck and eyes that bug out of their sockets. After watching for a few moments, Patty and I are able to gather that this ugly ostrich dude seems to be the one in charge because he doesn't seem to be doing any real work other than barking orders at his minions.

The birdpeople each resemble different birds and their prowess also seems to range considerably. It takes only a couple of minutes of watching them for me to be able to rate each of the seven in terms of their smarts and strength. At least one of them appears completely inept while a couple seem to be formidable adversaries. The one standing on Maka's left is, of course, one of the more competent ones. He closely resembles a raven with black hair and a long, pointy beak-like nose and feet that splay out in either direction like a crow's. I'm guessing he's the one who caught Maka and has brought her to his boss for further instructions.

Maka's hands are bound, but thankfully not her feet. Clearly, they underestimate her because not only have they failed to bind her feet, which I know she can use as a weapon in the absence of her real weapon, me, but they've only got her held with a zip tie or some kind of fishing line, not manacles or heavy rope or chain. I don't even get the feeling that there is any kind of enchantment on the binding. Amateurs! We can get her out of that easy. DWMA students don't go anywhere without a very sharp pocketknife on their person somewhere. They probably took Maka's, but Patty and I should each have one giving us another chance or two to cut those bindings.

The challenge isn't going to be in getting her free or getting me to her, but in preventing collateral damage. There are God-damned kids _everywhere_. Every time I think I can see a path I could use to quickly get to her some kid has moved setting off a domino effect of other kids moving, falling over, running around or lying down. Just watching them makes me tired.

In my head I run through Maka's extensive repertoire of abilities to try to think of anything she can do that might help us out. With me in the vicinity I can enhance her spell casting even if we aren't in direct physical contact with one another, but I'm coming up blank for any way that can help us in this situation. I don't think we've ever run through a scenario remotely like this.

Still, I focus on Maka feeling like she must surely be able to help Patty and me in some way or another and as I watch her I swear I can see her fingers moving in a funny way. At first, I think she is trying to free herself and making the little motions one might while prying hands out of a binding, but then I see it again. Her pinky finger seems to deliberately extend twice in an exaggerated way and then does a weird little squiggly dance and then folds back up and extends twice again. It's fucking _weird_.

"What's she doing?" Patty whispers to me.

"I think she's trying to tell us something or tell someone something…I have to think."

"Maybe she's pointing at something," Patty supposes. I frown. I don't think that's it, but I'm also not getting whatever message Maka is trying to send either.

"But what's with that circle she's drawin-Oh, oh, I got it!" I'm so excited I have to work hard not to shout.

Our first year as partners the cool thing to do was to create a special handshake with your partner. Every meister/weapon team had one, but Maka and I refusing to be outdone created multiple secret hand signals. The secret sign language we created has more or less been forgotten by both of us except for the hand signal for, "This party/dance is lame. I wanna go home." Being one who doesn't enjoy social functions, I tend to use that one a lot. The one she's using now I haven't seen in years, but I'm pretty sure it roughly translates to "I'm only letting them think they have the upper hand" or "Don't worry, I have a plan" or "I did this on purpose."

I smile. "She knows we're here. That's a sign only _I_ know. I think she's trying to tell me that she let them catch her on purpose," I whisper.

"Well, that's dumb. Why would she do that?"

I shrug my shoulders. "I dunno, but if they're taking these kids as hostages they must be planning to move them, otherwise they wouldn't have taken them out of the day care."

"Oh, look they have a big slide in there!" Patty says excitedly.

"Patty, can you please focus?"

"Sorry, I just thought it was cool."

"Well, it _is_ cool, but we gotta figure out how to free Maka and help her to get all these kids free."

Patty nods.

"Hey, brats! We need all of you to group together," commands one of the bird men who looks like a parakeet with a blue and red Mohawk. The kids who are in clusters squish together a little more, but the clusters don't group together into one clump like he wanted. "No, not like that. Tighter." He tries to use his feathery leg to push groups of kids together, but they resist and some run the opposite direction.

At this rate Patty and I don't need to be too worried they are going to grab the kids and make a hasty getaway, but I gotta figure out where they think they are taking all these kids to. If they are taking them hostage why would they have taken them out of the day care center in the first place?

As if in answer to my question a shadow falls over us as something flies overhead. A few birds are carrying a suspended nest that has a top like a bird cage. The thing is so ginormous they can't set it down. They must be planning to lift the kids and put them in it.

The ostrich man in front of Maka grins with pleasure as the nest cage begins to hover over our heads.

"Aw, Maka Albarn, famous scythe master. What should I do with you after I have taken all these children away?"

"I don't think it matters because you won't be taking these kids anywhere."

The Ostrich Man chuckles. "I'm sure that talking trash works on your simple minded classmates at the DWMA, but it isn't going to intimidate me. Or perhaps you do not think we know that you are counting on your partner to come and help you out?"

He strides up to her with a goose step that brings his foot to his waist with each stride. "Where is the Soul Eater?"

She grimaces. "I don't know. He left about a week ago."

The sound of his laughter echoes off the buildings.

"You expect me to believe that? You are more naive than I ever could have imagined. Now where is he?"

"I told you. He dropped out and left DC. You can ask anyone. He left demon hunting and he left me."

"Oh, you must be so _sad_. I've heard you two were very close…very _protective_ of one another." The bird man slaps her across the face with such force her head flies to the right. I lurch forward out of empathy and almost upend the bags of trash in front of Patty and me.

Patty grabs my arm. "Careful, Soul! That guy is only doing this to try to get you to show yourself if you're here. Maka knows what she's doing."

I nod, but knowing that doesn't make seeing her get hit any easier. I need to come up with a plan soon or I'm going to find myself doing something stupid to try to free her.

"Maybe, I can create a distraction…of some kind and you can get over there to cut her loose," I suggest.

"What kind of a distraction?"

"I could lead them on a chase with the hoverboard…"

"No offense, but you're not terribly good with that thing."

I mumble that I'm no Kid, but I'm OK, and she frowns. I guess she and I have different definitions of OK.

"Well what would you suggest?" I ask her.

"I think we disguise you as a bird person, you blend in, and free Maka while I lead the kids to safety."

"Great! Patty, do you see a bird costume lying around anywhere?"

"It was just an idea…"she says in a tiny voice.

"Sorry, no it's ok. I'm open to anything, but we gotta act fast because I bet they are going to start loading the kids on that thing at any moment."

I become aware that there is a little kid watching me. He's two or three and has strayed from the groups at some point so that he is standing at an angle where he can watch me standing here whispering to my gun. This doesn't seem to faze him. He's just standing still clutching his blanket while sucking on his thumb. I can only imagine what the little guy must be thinking what with a bunch of bird men pulling him and his pals from their daycare. His face is super red so I'm guessing he was crying not that long ago. I put my finger to my lips to signal not to talk and he continues to stand there sucking his thumb for dear life, clinging to his blankie.

"Patty, I have an idea. Transform back into human form, but stay hidden."

Patty does as she's told and the kid's eyes grow wide and his thumb sucking pauses for a brief moment before restarting at an accelerated pace. Yup, he is definitely watching us. He takes a step backward but doesn't make a peep.

"That's our new recruit. You gotta lure him over here," I whisper to Patty.

"Soul, what are you gonna do? Maka isn't going to be happy with us if we endanger some kid trying to save her."

"He's already in danger," I state impatiently. "Just do it. You're good with kids."

Patty reaches into her pocket and pulls out some candy. Leave it to Patty to have sweets in her pocket. She kneels down and smiles and puts a piece of candy in her hand like she is luring a squirrel over for a nut. The little boy recognizes the distinctive foil package of a chocolate kiss and smiles and runs over. I snatch him and put my hand over his mouth just as the first piece of half melted chocolate goes in his mouth.

Patty looks appalled. "You're scaring him."

"I can't have him scream." I explain, though he seems to be content as long as he has candy to munch on. I set him back down making sure he is hidden from the bird people's view by the trashcans.

The little boy mimes zipping his lips and throwing away the key and smiles. Good. We have an ally.

I squat in front of him and look him in the eye. "Hey, kid. I'm Soul and this is Patty and that's our friend Maka out there with your friends. We want to help you get away from the bad guys. Do you want them to go away so you can go back to playing?"

He nods and Patty hands him another piece of chocolate.

"Ok, buddy. This is what I need you to do for us. Can we hide Patty under your blanket and have you walk with your blanket over to our friend Maka. The tall girl there?"

The little boy nods and puts out his hand for more candy. Patty places another piece in his hand. He happily chews it while he tosses his blanket over Patty. She now resembles a trick or treater in a simple ghost costume, but instead of being white she is covered in a loud print that shows monsters riding motorcycles and the entire lower half of her body is visible.

I shake my head and point to her legs sticking out from under the blanket. "She's gotta be a gun to make it work."

He shakes his head vehemently. Someone has taught him about gun safety. That's good. Normally, I would be very happy to know that this little boy knows weapons are not toys, but just this once I'm going to have to contradict some of the teaching his parents have done because I'm too big in weapon form to fit under his baby blanket. It has to be Patty and, unfortunately, she turns into a gun.

Patty takes his hand in hers. "It's ok. You should never touch a _real_ gun, but I'm _magic_. Sometimes I look like a gun, but I'm really not. Do you watch cartoons?"

I whisper to Patty that we're running out of time.

"I'm a superhero. Me and Soul and Maka we're all superheros and we fight bad guys." The little boy appears to process this.

"Please, will you help us?" I ask him. You know it's a desperate plan when it relies on a toddler and his blankie, but it was the best I could come up with.

He nods and holds out his hand for another piece of chocolate. Thankfully, she has another one. She must have deep pockets. The little boy takes the chocolate and sticks it in his pocket. I lift the blanket off Patty and he takes her hand as she transforms into a gun. I then take the blanket and carefully tuck it so that he can hold the gun under the blanket. He wanders out from the garbage pile and one of the bird brains shouts at him.

"Hey, how'd you get over there! You little brat! Get back here with the others. Damn kids." The kid lets the bird man come behind him and shove him back to the main group. He continues sucking on his thumb and plods forward toward Maka. He moves so slowly I feel like I'm watching a movie in slow motion. Then he abruptly changes course and for a moment I think that he has ADD and is going to completely forget the task I gave him. He walks up to a cluster of five little kids and I hear a girl say to him, "Eddy, hol my han. I scared."

With a popping sound he pulls his thumb out of his mouth, sticks his hand into his pocket, and pulls out the chocolate and hands it to her. Oh, he wanted to share with his girlfriend. How, cute…Ok, kid now go help out _my_ girlfr…meister.

"I gots to do sumthin'…I be back," he says and he turns around and resumes his walking toward Maka.

"They won't let us use the potty," she says assuming that is the 'something' he needs to do. She watches him as she unwraps the chocolate and puts it in her mouth and as soon as it's in her mouth she runs after him. "Down't leav me! I scared!"

The terrified girl goes to hug her friend and the blanket slips from Eddy's grasp revealing the gun. Seeing the gun she leaps back and a gasp is heard from the assembled kids. Even the birds look frightened.

"Hey, little boy. Where'd you get that? You put it down." This is working better than I could have hoped. They don't recognize it as a Demon Weapon! They think he's picked up a real gun from somewhere. Obediently, he sets the gun down on the cobblestones, grabs his blankie, takes his friend's hand and runs away. This puts Patty further away from Maka than I'd hoped but with the chaos of everyone thinking she's a real gun she is able to transform to human form, spring up, dart toward Maka, slice the tie around Maka's wrists before the birdpeople know they've been had.

"Patty, transform!" Maka yells and Patty transforms into gun form and is in Maka's right hand without ever falling to the ground. Maka swings the gun in front of her and takes her first shot at the ostrich guy's chest. "Kids duck!"

"Rain of Fire!" she announces her attack as I grab a metal garbage can lid to use as shield and dash towards her. She begins to swirl and a constant stream of bullets flies out at the enemy. The one closest to her tries to leap forward and punch her but I run into him full speed, knocking him down and pinning him under the garbage can lid which I now discover stinks to high heaven. _Lovely!_

Maka stops her spin and swings the gun toward me and the dude under the garbage can lid. For the first time, I see what it is like to be on the receiving end of her attacks. It's terrifying and for a millisecond I think she is going to shout me. I shudder at the appearance of her wrath and roll off the birdman taking the garbage can lid with me and she gets a shot to his chest.

"Soul, Patty, trrrrannnnnnsssfooooormmmm!" With her right hand Maka tosses Patty to the right as Patty transforms back into human form. Meanwhile, I run toward her left hand transforming into scythe form as I go.

Patty giggles as a bunch of kids clap happily at the magic they have just witnessed then remembering her duties, shouts for all the kids to get back and tries to herd them away from the conflict. The bird people shout, "Scat Attack" and start shouting hard bits of ingesta toward us. They sting like a devil when they hit and I'm sure we will have nasty welts from them, but unlike bullets they don't penetrate the skin. Thank, Death.

"Gross!" I say as one of the pieces of scat hits my eye on the scythe. "So, you got a plan?" I ask my meister.

"Nope."

"I figured as much. What were you gonna do if I didn't show up? Play Mother Hen to a bunch of whiny kids in a flying nest?"

"Yeah, probably."

"Come on kids let's go play!" Patty says skipping playfully to the door of the day care followed by a stampede of children.

There are still five bird people standing, but not for long. "On the count of three, resonant, witch hunter- one big swing. Got it?" my meister instructs me.

"Got it."

"One…two…three!" She swings me extra high so as to avoid any children still dashing about…and then it is over. The birds that brought the nest cage fly off taking it with them and I walk around the street swallowing 7 demon souls that taste not entirely unlike chicken.

"Could use ketchup," I joke as Maka lets herself slump a little from exhaustion. Patty emerges from the day care wearing a tall pointy hat with streamers coming off the top.

"Princess Patty, you stay here and keep the kids safe." Maka instructs after only a moment's rest. "I think their teachers are locked in the building somewhere. I hope. Soul and I will head back to the school and help out there."

"Sounds good. Have fun you twwwooooo!" She winks at us as I grab Maka's hand and lead her back to the alley where I dumped the hoverboard. I form loops with my arms and tell her to get on my back. She hesitates for a moment, so I toss her over my shoulder until she naturally settles into a piggy back ride as we cruise toward the school.

Unlike Patty, Maka is silent for the entire ride.


	17. Chapter 17: Confessions

Chapter 17: Confessions; Going into the Closet for Romance?

Back at the entrance to the school, the battle seems to be over, at least for the time being. Using Soul Perception, Kid is directing students and faculty to locations where there may be people trapped in rubble and debris, but he takes a moment to talk to us when he sees us come around the bend.

"Maka, Soul," he says nodding twice as he inventories us. Then with a sterner edge to his voice he asks, "Where is Patti?"

"Don't worry. She's playing babysitter to a bunch of kids they tried to nab," I explain, happy that I don't have to face his wrath.

"Ah," he smiles with relief. "Well, then she is in her element. I thank you."

"Thanks for letting me use the board," I say gently kicking it in his direction.

"Is everybody OK? Do we know who those creeps are?" Maka asks.

"There have been some injuries, a few are fairly severe, but no fatalities. So far it appears Hiro has it the worst. Both of his legs were crushed by a beam on the southwestern side of the school. Mira is doing everything she can. He lost a lot of blood so she's collecting blood to replenish our supply, but, unfortunately, neither of you are cleared to donate."

"Black blood?" I ask already knowing the answer.

Kid nods. "Unless we get into a _dire_ emergency they don't want to risk spreading the infection to others. I hope you understand."

I nod. "So, what _can_ we do to help out?"

"My father is holding a meeting at eighteen hundred hours. Until then I suggest you get some rest and visit the wounded. Oh, and Tsubaki's ankle got twisted. I don't know if she is still at the dispensary or not, but she may be on chrutches for a time." He looks up at the battered school and sighs. "They have wrecked the architecture! I'm not going to be able to get any sleep until this is put right again."

"We need to report to Lord Death about their plans to take kids as hostages," Maka tells him.

He sighs. "Honestly, my father is swamped right now. I think it probably best we discuss it when we come together as a group. Just make sure you check in with Marie. She's outside the dispensary and is in charge of tracking everyone who has checked in so we make sure no one remains missing. Were any of the kids injured?"

"No, and they didn't manage to take any, but I'm not sure about the teachers."

"I'll go over in a bit and check on things and escort Patti back. I'd hate for her to miss the meeting."

Maka pats Kid on the shoulder. "Thanks for letting Soul use your board. That was super nice of you. I bet you're shocked you got it back in one piece." She gives him a peck on the cheek and his normally pale skin blushes ever so slightly. Oh, Kid gets a kiss for lending me his board, but do _I_ get a kiss? No! What is she playing at? Is she _trying_ to make me jealous? I scowl and Kid's eyes meet mine in an expression of, "Idiot, you still haven't made your move?" Once again, my friend with the least dating experience is critiquing my love life. Feeling pathetic and miserable I follow closely behind Maka as we head to the dispensary.

There we find Marie a blubbering mess of emotions as she insists on hugging each person who checks in and expressing to them her relief that they are more or less in one piece. Maka and I offer our help to her as there seems to be a lot needing to get done, but like Kid she tells us that soon enough we will be given an assignment and that we best recover while we have the opportunity.

Inside the dispensary we find Hiro konked out on heavy duty pain killers mid blood transfusion so we stand for a moment by his bedside and try to match his soul wavelength for a time to give him strength. Tsubaki must already have finished having her ankle attended to because she's not there nor is Black*Star but we say hi to a couple of our other classmates who are prepping lacerations for stitching or cleaning up abrasions. The room is the most crowded I've ever seen it so after giving our obligatory well wishes to everyone who is awake and alert enough to accept them Maka and I head for the door so as not to get in the way.

Once out of the dispensary, the inevitable happens. Maka and I find ourselves staring at one another in the DWMA main hallway with an awkward silence standing between us.

I wish we could pretend that I never left, but I know we have to talk about it. Ignoring it is only going to erode whatever it is we have for one another and even though we are both tired and upset we had better get this discussion out of the way because soon we will once again be completely absorbed with battling evil doers.

Maka grabs my hand and says "Soul, we need to talk." Her voice trembles with something…fear? Anger? I don't know and that worries me a little. I have a sense that her soul wavelength is all over the place which isn't like her. Usually her rhythms are so steadfast and reliable it makes me feel kind of "zen," for lack of a better term.

She opens the door to a nearby janitorial closet and I follow her into it, shutting the door behind me. In the fantasy world I like to retreat into she would be taking me in here to throw herself at me much the way Becca did, but Maka is a very different person and as much as I'd like for that to happen I know it's not going to. Instead, I expect to have a very painful conversation.

What I do _not_ expect is the strong slap to the face I receive as soon as the door is closed. "That's for leaving without a word," she says to me.

I begin to remind her that I left a note, but she slaps me a second time. "And that's for using a little kid in battle. You couldn't have just shot those weirdos from behind the trash can?"

I mumble that I guess I could have tried, but her brain has already returned to the first thing she is pissed at me about.

"You listen to me, Soul. I can't have you waltz in and out of my life like that. I thought we were partners. I thought we trusted one another."

I hang my head. My face is burning from her slaps, but I know I deserve them. "Maka, I'm sorry."

"Do you know what you put me through?" She hits me in the chest and I stumble backward from the blow.

"Why did you leave?" she asks

"Well…" Where do I begin? "I think I needed some space to think about things."

"What things? What was _so_ important that you had to keep it a secret from me? I don't understand." She punches me in the chest again. "What did I do wrong?" she begins to sob and punches me yet again.

"You didn't do anything wrong, Maka. I had some stuff I had to work out is all."

"Why didn't you talk to me about it? I thought we were a team. Don't you trust me?"

"Of course I do."

She is shaking her head. "I don't understand. Why did you come back? Are you even staying?"

"Yes, of course I'm staying. This is where I belong."

"Are you sure about that? Because I don't want to have to live through this again."

"Yes, I'm sure. Now, can you say you're happy to see me?"

"Why did you leave?" she demands of me.

"Come on, say you're happy I'm back!" I nudge her playfully with my shoulder. "Maka, say you're happy I'm back!"

"Why did you leave?"

"Say you're happy to see me, Maka!" Now I am shouting at her.

"Why'd you leave?"

"_Fuck, Maka!_ Can't you say you're happy I'm back? What is your problem?"

"'What's _my_ problem?' What's _your_ problem? One minute everything seems normal and then the next you're gone, leaving me nothing but some 'dear john' letter? What the _fuck_, Soul?!"

"I said I was sorry."

"Sorry isn't good enough. You _promised_ you wouldn't disappear on me. You know I can't deal with another person vanishing on me! What were you thinking? And now you're back and I'm supposed to act like everything is normal and OK?"

"I made a mistake. I admit that." I look directly into her eyes. Why won't she accept my apology?

"So, would you have come back if the school hadn't have been attacked? Or do I have to thank these bird brain assholes for you gracing us with your presence once again?" I've never seen her this angry or felt her wavelength so erratic.

"Maka," I say taking her hand in mine and trying to lower the intensity a bit. But she doesn't let me talk. She's too angry.

"If you had a problem you should have talked with me about it. We're partners; we work things out together. We don't run away from each other and not explain what is going on! I was crazy with worry-"

"I left you a note," I say it as calmly as I can.

"Yes, but you could have been coerced into writing it for all I know."

"Well, I wasn't. I was just being stupid." I'm not even trying to defend what I did and she's still angry with me. I guess I deserve this.

"Well, I'm stupid, too, because I thought you would live up to your promises."

"I shouldn't have made that promise."

"_Soul_, tell me why you left!" she shouts at me emphaticly. I grumble. This is a nightmare and we are both exhausted and stressed to the max.

"Look, I have to get over to the supply room to get a new survival pack-"

"I thought you only lost your canteen."

"I did, but now I left the rest of my pack at Isabel's-"

"She the one who left that hickey on your neck?"

"What hickey?"

"Right there-" With her pointer finger she pokes a spot on my neck. It's tender and I remember Becca kissing me there. In all of Patty's yakking she hadn't given me the heads-up that I had a bruise on my neck that looked suspiciously like a suck mark. Thanks, Patty. I hope you know you're gonna hear about this!

"For your information, Isabel is a woman I was renting a room from for a couple days."

"How exactly were you paying her?" Now Maka is just being nasty. This is ridiculous!

"I can't believe you. You won't tell me if you have feelings for me, but I so much as _look_ at another girl and you come _unglued_! For your information, _Miss Nosey Pants_, the mark on my neck is from Becca, a _very_ hot girl I met and that mark would be somewhere much more private if I'd let her! _She_ wasn't scared to tell me what _she_ wanted. So, for the last time can you _please_ say that you're happy I came back?! Because if you aren't I could just leave again."

"You wouldn't!"

"Oh yes I would and then maybe I'll come back with an even _bigger_ hickey!"

"You pig!"

I am pissed. I swap my arm for a scythe and move towards her. "Say you're happy I'm back or so help me I will slice you!"

Maka gasps and grabs a nearby mop to fend me off. "You wouldn't. You would never hurt me!"

"_I don't know what I'll do anymore_," I shout.

She gasps.

"_Soul_, this isn't _you_."

"Yes! That's just it, Maka! This _is_ me. This is what I'm telling you. I am _not_ a good guy. I am sexually frustrated. I have a stupid Little Ogre in my head who is constantly trying to get me to do bad things and I was selfish enough to hope that you would take me back with open arms. Why'd I come back? _**Because I'm desperately in love with you.**_ Is that what you want me to say? You want me to grovel at your feet! _**Fine!**_ I left because I thought I could survive without you and I can't. I miss you too damn much. _**You're a part of me**_…you happy now?"

Her mouth clamps shut. She appears speechless.

"But for some _fucking_ reason every time I tell you that I love you, you choose to ignore me. Which tells me that you must not feel that way for me, but you don't have the fucking _decency_ to reject me. Not that it even matters, because I'm so damn _hung up_ on you that _I'm yours_ whether or not you love me back. I want you so bad that I'm _actually_ OK with being by your side forever with nothing more than what we have now and having you _hit me_ every time I look at another girl. _I love you that __**damn**__ much._ I don't think that's healthy, but if that's what you want that's what you'll have. You just have to decide what the fuck you _want_ from me. Do you want me to go or do you want me to stay? And you better make your mind up fast because in about an hour Lord Death is probably going to be sending us out on a mission together."

I turn to leave and then pivot back to face her again.

"Oh, and by the way, Stein and Lord Death didn't reassign you to be with me because you were struggling. _**I**_ asked them to do it for _**me**_ because _**I**_ couldn't stand being away from _**my**_ meister. _**I'm**_ the one who couldn't handle the assignment. _**I**_ needed to be back with _**you**_."

I whirl around turning my scythe back into an arm and open the door. "I'm going to the supply room. I will see you in the Death Room at eighteen hundred hours."

And I stomp down the hallway past a bunch of our friends who have gathered outside the closet to eavesdrop on our argument.


	18. Chapter 18: What the

Chapter 18: What the…; Two faced love?

As I stomp down the hallway away from Maka I become more and more pissed. _**Why won't she say she's happy to see me?**_ It infuriates me to no end! God damn her!

But it isn't until I'm half way down to the supply room that I realize _**why**_ it pisses me off so badly. There has been something nagging at the back of my mind all afternoon, but it kept getting shoved aside with all the fighting and bombs and duties, but now it is at the forefront of my mind and I _have_ to go yell at her about it. I spin on my heal and march back to the closet passing our friends who are doing a crappy job of pretending they aren't standing there solely in order to pry into our personal affairs.

As I open the door to the janitor's closet, I hear her crying, but my heart doesn't soften at all. I'm not going to be nice or pull my punches just because she's crying. Yes, I made a mistake and it was a big one, but she is being unreasonable and acting like a crazy person…or a crazier person than usual, at any rate.

She's sitting there on the floor of the closet, her head on her knees crying.

I tower over her and shot, "And _one more thing_ I'd like to know. If you knew where I was the _**whole **_damn time I was gone and you missed me _**so badly**_ then why the _fuck_ didn't you come after me? Every time Crona runs off you and I gotta drop everything and pile on Brunnie to bring _**his**_ sorry ass back, but I take off and you do _**NOTHING**_! What the hell, Maka? What am I supposed to think?"

She lifts her head and her bloodshot eyes meet mine. Each orb has a trail of tears pouring from it like a little creek. "You think I didn't? No wonder you're so angry."

Huh? Now I'm confused. I stand there unsure whether to keep yelling or not.

"Soul, I **did,** or I started to anyways, but Lord Death wouldn't let me."

"What?"

"He said that he would only allow us to be partners again if you returned to Death City of your own volition. If I ran after you and brought you back with me or convinced you to come back he wouldn't partner us together ever again. So, I just had to wait and pretend I wasn't dying on the inside. I knew you'd come back some day, but I was worried it might not be for years…" Her head goes back down as her body once again begins to quake with sobs.

I plop down next to her, my energy for arguing quickly running out on me.

"Aw, Maka. I'm sorry. I didn't know." All interest in yelling at her is gone now. I bring my arm around behind her and pull her shoulder closer to me in a side-by-side hug. As takes a huge breath as crying and breathing tends to be hard and then wraps both arms around me, basically climbing into my lap so that she can buries her head in my chest. Puddles of tears and probably some snout ones form in the wrinkles of my t-shirt. She's a pretty big mess.

I rub her back. This has been really rough on her. I probably would be homicidal if I were in her shoes. She needs to get all this upset out so her wavelength can return to normal. I will her to get all this anxiety out as my wavelength starts to become more predictable.

"You know, Soul, this isn't entirely your fault," she says her voice muffled by my chest.

"Sure it is," I say with amusement while rubbing her back more vigorously.

She tips her head to look up at me. "No, it's not."

I laugh. How is she going to spin this so I'm not one hundred percent an asshole?

"I knew you were in love with me," she says quietly in between sniffles.

"You did?" I take a moment to ponder this. I guess she was smart enough to know that all my teasing about her tiny tits and her addiction to reading were simply misguided attempts to conceal the feelings I had brewing for her deep inside my core.

"I guess I must be pretty obvious."

She shakes her head. "No, I've known for a long time, maybe even longer than you. I could read it in your soul, but I didn't know what to do. My Soul Perception gives me the ability to learn some very personal things about people, secrets that aren't mine to know. So, I decided all I could do was wait until some day you admitted it."

"Oh." I sit there digesting this. She's known all along?

"And I told myself it wouldn't be until the day you confessed your love to me that I would tell you that I feel the same way about you."

My eyebrows lower as my brain works. It's been a hard day. I may be misinterpreting what I just heard, but I'm pretty sure she just said that she loves me? Could that be right or am I imagining things again? No, I'm pretty sure that's what she said. All of a sudden it is as though a grey cloud that has been hovering over me for a long time has evaporated into a beautiful spring day. I feel physically lighter.

"Maka, I'm really, really sor-"

She silences me with her lips and as they mash into one another, both of us trying to figure out which way to tip our heads so that our noses don't collide, her tongue slowly enters my mouth and it is quite possibly the hottest thing ever.

My arms snake their way around her in a much more intimate way than before because now I have the green light and my mission is to get her to stop crying. It's way too hard to see her like this.

My hands roam more than they ever have before as the desires I've been keeping in check are freed. She scoots herself on the floor a little so that as I lean forward she can lean back, not to get away from me, but in a sexy, submissive way. Soon she is laying on her back with her knees bent and I am in-between those sexy legs of hers, a hand on either side of her supporting my weight as I lean down, never fully releasing her from the kiss I've waited sooooo long to have.

Her arms wrap around me pulling me closer to her so that our bodies rub against one another as we kiss and I feel that wild, crazy need building inside of me. Every part of me wants to lay claim to every part of her. Death, I want her so bad!

I pull away from her lips and pry myself from her arms.

"What's wrong?" she asks.

I gulp. "Maka, I left 'cause I was scared and I was trying to protect you…"

"From what?" she actually giggles. I've never seen her giddy. It's adorable…but kind of weird.

"Me."

Her face scrunches. "Soul, I only _tease_ you about being a delinquent. You've never done anything _bad_."

"No, but I worry I might not be able to control myself around you."

An impish grin appears on her face and she arches her back in a very suggestive way. "Maybe I don't want you to-"

"_Maka, I dreamt I fucking raped you!_ That's the real reason I left. I didn't trust myself and I still don't but I was so scared of what might be happening to you and to everybody here that I came back."

Her face is frozen in a look of shock for a brief moment before it relaxes. She touches my arm gently. "Soul, you would never do that! That's not who you are. You're really a gentleman, you just happen to have a very vulgar vocabulary at times."

I smile at her, but I'm not going to let her talk me out of my concerns. Sure, now I know she has those type of feelings, too, but all that means is I may be put in more and more situations where I have to resist urges that parts of me want very badly to give into.

"Under _normal _circumstances I wouldn't worry about it because you're right, I'm not that kind of guy. But, Maka, we both know what the Black Blood can do. It's powerful stuff." I recall the dream and how I took her provocative dress and seductive behavior as an invitation to do more than she was OK with. I remember her crying out my name, not in the ecstasy of love making, but in the tortured cry of someone being traumatized. I quake with upset as tears begin pouring from my eyes. "It was _so_ real. I couldn't even look at you."

"That's why you were sick before you left…"

"Yeah, it was awful. I hurt you so badly." I look away. We love each other but that doesn't change the fact that I'm not to be trusted I have an evil influence inside me. One I have to fight.

"Soul, I wish you had told me," her words mirror the gentle touch with which she brushes some of my hair from my face so she can see me as she talks to me.

"I'm sorry but that's not a conversation I knew how to start. 'Hey, Maka, I'm a horny bastard and I had this dream where I forced myself on you.' There are some things that are too hard to talk about."

"Not between us," her voice is firm. She is sure of herself. "Soul, we can't control our dreams and our thoughts…only our actions and those are guided by our soul, which is who we truly are deep inside…and I know you would never hurt me like that."

"Yeah, well, that's easy for you to say." I grumble, "I'm horny as hell."

She pulls me close to her and whispers in my ear, "And you think I'm not? I want to ravage you…"

Giving a disbelieving snort, I wipe my tears on the back of my hand.

"I mean it Soul," she takes hold of my face so that I'm forced to look at her as she talks. "I love you…I love you _so_ very much."

I smirk. "That's hard enough for me to believe. But you _wanting _me? Really, Maka? You're just saying that to make me feel better."

Without intending to, I have provided her with a challenge to prove to me that she has some kind of desire for me beyond the hand-holding and maybe not entirely platonic snuggling on the couch we currently enjoy and Maka never one to back down from a challenge has me flat on my back before I know what's happened. She is straddling me, her emerald eyes sparkling before she arches her back, closes her eyes and begins to grind her pelvis on my groin.

"Maka!" I shout in surprise. I thought she was more innocent than this. She stops moving and gives me an incredibly pouty look.

"Something wrong, Mr. Soul Eater?" she asks me.

"No, I just wasn't really expecting that...er…this." Far from disliking it, I ache for her to do it more…I'm having a hard time wrapping my brain around the fact that my meister is not just cute and attractive and sweet, but sexy, really, really sexy. We may still be in school, but this doesn't feel like school girl stuff this is passionate, erotic stuff…and, man, is it ever hot. I cannot let anyone know she can be like this or every male in the school will be chasing after her.

"It feels good, right?" she asks with worry. All too eagerly my head bobs up and down in a crazed nod. Yes, I definitely want her to do that more. She smiles with genuine delight and then the sweet school girl once again morphs into a vixen. I gulp. I wouldn't believe it if I hadn't witnessed it. It's like Jekyl and Hyde only way, way sexier and significantly less violent.

Then again, Maka has always been full of surprises. The biggest one being that she chose me as her partner and now appears to have chosen me for something even more intimate than that.

"Are you still nervous?" she asks. I make a noncommittal face in response. "Well, if you're worried about losing control than it makes sense that I should be on top." This is weird as hell…Logical Maka is speaking to me while Sex Kitten Maka is causing the bulge in my pants to feel on the verge of explosion.

"Besides, I'm your meister so I'm in charge," her finality about it makes me agree with her. As meister she gives the orders and I happily follow her lead. I lean back and put my hands behind my head. I really want to watch this show, but it feels so damn good I find myself closing my eyes. I'm trying super hard to play it cool, but after another minute of her lap dance I start to lose it. I let a little groan slip past my lips and her face is immediately in mine.

"What was that, Mr. Eater?" she says playfully. "Did you say, 'Oh, Maka, you are so hot, I want you so bad and I will never leave you again?'"

One of my eyes which had involuntarily closed opens just a crack to peer at her. "How can you read all that from a grunt?"

"I've lived with you a long time and that was a groan not a grunt."

"Same difference," I say shutting my eyes again.

"No, there's a big difference. A grunt is what you do when I ask you which outfit I should wear or you discover that your toothbrush has mysteriously vanished. A groan is what you do when you want to moan but are trying to play it cool."

"I was not trying to play it cool."

"Oh, you totally are. You're afraid to have me know how much you're enjoying this."

"Scared, huh? Why would I be scared?" I run my hand up the outside of her leg. When my fingers reach the zone they have never before passed I find that I hesitate out of habit but then I quickly resume their quest to get up under that teeny, tiny skirt of hers. Once underneath I gently grab her ass and give it a squeeze…and she _lets me. _There is no whack on the head with a book or slug to the chest with a powerful fist. Thank you, Shinigami!

I sit up a little to draw her into another long kiss. It is even hotter than our first and it leads into me licking and kissing her chin and neck creating a visible trail of moisture from her lips to her cleavage. My head is nuzzled into her neck, my tongue tracing circles on her nape when there is a banging on the door.

"Ignore it," I mutter as I continue on my quest to kiss every inch of her.

Knock, knock, knock. There it is again. Maka is panting like she's on the brink of something wild. I'm not stopping. Fuck whoever is banging on the door. _We are busy._

One of my hands is exploring her chest on the outside of her clothes, while the other is roaming around near the elastic waist on her panties.

Knock, knock, knock.

"Soul, don't stop! Oh, Shinigami, don't stop!" she pants. My kisses illicit a guttural moan from her, something I've never before heard from my meister. It's a sound that signals my body that she has primal needs which I am well-equipped to relieve. I like this new sound very much. I unbutton the top button of her blouse and begin kissing this new inch of flesh that has been revealed to me-

**Knock, knock, knock. **I can't take it anymore. I will _kill_ whoever is on the other side of that door. And if it's Black*Star I will make Lord Death bring him back from the dead just so I can have the joy of killing him a second time. Reluctantly, I untangle myself from Maka, rise from my position on the floor, and fling the door open while shouting, "For fuck's sake quit being a dill hole! I'm trying to have a moment with my meist-"

"Hello, Soul, Maka." It's Professor Stein and he has an enormous smirk on his face. "I see you're settling back in nicely. Let me remind you that janitorial closets" he taps the plaque on the door "are places for janitors to keep cleaning supplies. I realize this can be a confusing point for students. Oh, and Soul you are of course once again on academic probation. So I expect you to work extra hard on our next several assignments. Welcome back."

Mortified, I turn back to face Maka and both of us start laughing our asses off.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19: Before Battle; Does the Soul Smile?

Maka and I remain in our little sanctuary holding one another; neither one of us in a particular hurry to return to the world of missions, death threats and freaky looking bird people. Finally, it seems our wavelengths are back in sync with one another.

Her head is resting on my shoulder when she comments, "It's funny how things feel easier now."

"Yeah," I agree. This feels so nature that I think we may have managed to navigate this relationship evolution without losing anything we had before except for some of the misconceptions I had about my meister and her…desires.

"So, uh is there anything I need to do differently now?" I realize that's a very vague question, but I hope she'll get my meaning.

"Like do you have to act different somehow?"

I nod. "Am I supposed to? Is there something I should do different?"

She considers this for a moment. "I don't think so. What about me?"

"No way. I like you just the way you are…but I wouldn't mind some more of…" I give her a sultry look as I trail off and her laugh is musical rising and falling like an arpeggio.

"Oh, there will be plenty more of that," she assures me by giving me a kiss.

"Good." I must be grinning like a moron.

"But," she continues. "I think it may be best if we keep things on the down low…"

As much as I'd like to hang a sign around her neck that says she's property of Demon Weapon, Soul Eater, I suspect that she is right. Our lives will be far less complicated if we more or less keep this afternoon's revelations between the two of us.

"Yeah," I grumble my agreement. "Our friends are immature morons. I'm pretty sure there is a betting pool on whether we're having sex right now or not."

She sighs, "Yeah, I kind of figured. Though it looked like Professor Stein might have run them off for us."

"I've always said he's my favorite teacher."

It's convenient that I'm usually Maka's date to all the school dances and functions because we can continue to accompany one another without it being immediately obvious to everyone that something more has developed between us. Because we both know it's not really our friends we are worried about. It's her father. His relationship with his daughter is strained enough without her choice of a boyfriend making things worse and from day one of our partnership he has believed me to be a bad influence on his little girl.

"I say we don't lie, but we don't advertise it, either," Maka suggests.

"Sounds cool to me."

Now that we appear to have a game plan for our personal life, we reluctantly return to work mode. "So, what else do we need to do before the meeting besides hitting the supply room?" I ask her.

"You know, Soul, I could have gotten you a replacement canteen."

"I said I'd take care of it. I'm taking care of it. It just slipped my mind."

"Soul-"

"I know it's been awhile, but I'm perfectly able to take care of myself."

Maka tips her head. "How long's it been?"

I shrug, "A couple weeks maybe."

She frowns. "It's been six weeks."

"Like I said. A couple weeks."

She whacks me. "Death, when are you going to get more responsible? I knew you left without it. You're lucky you didn't die of dehydration in the desert, you idiot!"

"Oh, listen to you! You went into battle against seven of those bird weirdos without a weapon or comrade. What the hell were you thinking? I can't leave you alone for a minute."

"Five days."

"Same difference, Little Miss Calendar."

She laughs. "Speaking of which, what time is it, anyway? We'll need to pick up my stuff from Kid's before we turn in for the night."

I say nothing. So, she's been staying at Kid's…interesting. I guess it makes sense if they were trading off shifts keeping an "eye" on me with Soul Perception.

"Soul, you aren't honestly sitting there wondering if something is going on between me and Kid are you?"

"Course not." I'm lying a little bit and she probably knows it. I mean he's smart and good looking. He practically has his own fan club a the school with all the girls hoping to some how weasel their way into being his partner or girlfriend.

She wraps an arm around me. "Well you don't need to worry. I stayed at his place because I couldn't stand being at home without you. But, Patti and Liz have been driving me batty! They keep making me do _girl_ things."

"You must have hated that, because you're so obviously not a girl." I say intentionally staring right at her tits. She grimaces. "Quit making fun of me. You know what I mean. They made me watch _chick flicks_ and I burnt myself on Liz's curling iron. _And_ they were threatening to set me up with a first year."

"Sounds like I got back just in time." Her abhorance of things most girls enjoy amuses me. Wait, what was that last thing? "What first year?" I ask.

She blushes. "The librarian's son."

"Him? You're like twice as tall as him. He's like a midget or something. And I'm pretty sure he's a pervert." Note to self: escort Maka on all her trips to library from now on. Ensure he is not making recommendations of romance novels to my meister or offering to take her alone into the stacks for any reason.

She shakes her head. "You be nice to him, Soul." I avoid her eyes. "I mean it. I could understand the jealousy when you didn't know how I felt about you, but now you do so you're going to have to learn to trust me and stop being so insecure all the time."

"I'm not insecure."

"Yes, you are. You are always thinking that I want someone who is well-read or pretentious or something."

I shrug. "Sue me for thinking I'm gettin' the better end of the bargain here."

She grimaces and shuts her eyes. "Well, at least you don't have to make out with someone who has a hickey on them from the last person they made out with."

"Sorry."

She squirms a little like there is something she wants to say or ask, but she doesn't.

"Maka, what's on your mind?

"Nothing."

"Liar," I can read her like she reads books. "Just spill it…There something bothering you about while I was gone?"

Her eyes flit around the room as if she is too extraordinarily embarrassed to meet my gaze. "How far did you…?"

"I promise you, you're seeing the worst of it on my neck." She appears relieved. She doesn't need to know the part about Becca not having any underwear on. I mean, that happened before I even got in the room, right? Not my choice. Not my problem.

"Why didn't you?"

I roll my eyes. "She liked country music."

Maka starts laughing like I've said something hilarious. "Oh, well that's a crime."

"It is in my book. I had to play a Brutus Black song on my guitar."

"We can't have that."

"Nope. _We_ can't. Besides, she wasn't my type."

"Oh, really and what is your type?"

"_You_."

She rolls her eyes. Fine, she can think I'm joking. I'm not offended, but in another fifty years when I'm still by her side she'll realize I wasn't messing with her. There's no such thing as lip service from me. I call it like I see it.

A glance at my watch reveals that we have only about ten minutes before the meeting.

"Crap, we better get going. If we get there early we might actually get a chair."

Maka appears annoyed with me. "What is it with you and the chair thing?"

"Lord Death always holds these meetings in the Death Room and he knows there's a bunch of us, but he only has like six chairs. It's rude and I bet you anything Kid will get a chair."

"Do you want me to grab a chair and take it with us?"

"No! I don't need a chair. I just think it's poor form on Lord Death's part. He's a _God_! He could cough up some more damn chairs."

"I think that sometimes you just look for things to get angry about."

"I do not."

"Oh, you so totally do."

I stand up and offer her a hand to help her up from the floor. We brush ourselves off, because ironically the janitorial closet is very dirty.

"Do I look decent?" she asks me. To me she looks the best she's ever looked, but to the rest of the world they might think her a little disheveled. I help her straighten her skirt and before I do up that one blouse button I undid, I kiss the skin that will be covered.

She gives me a once over to make sure I'm ok.

"Is my gigantic grin gonna give us away?" I chuckle not really expecting an answer.

"I can tell you're smiling, but no one else will guess."

"Why?"

"You tend to scowl all the time so when you smile it just looks like you're normal…neutral or stoned."

I put up my hands. "Oh, _please_ not that again. I refuse to pee in a cup one more time! I know that was your damn father's doing."

"Undoubtedly," she says kissing me. "Now let's go get our assignment and if we're lucky it will be a mission where we get to be alone."

Now I'm sure my grin extends from ear to ear. Me and Maka back in the demon hunting business. Alright!


	20. Chapter 20: In the Death Room

**Risenfromash:** Thank you to all of you have reviewed. Sorry, I don't have the time to individually send you messages of thanks, but it brightens my day to know that you are enjoying this… and critical reviews are welcome as well as I'm always trying to improve as a writer. Peace to all of you.

_**Chapter 20: In the Death Room; News to take Sitting Down?**_

The meeting is held in Death's Room and is attended by many of the top ranked meisters and Death Scythes and us. It always cracks me up that despite our relatively low star ranking we always appear to be part of the elite team protecting the school and carrying out Lord Death's wishes. It's an honor, though not a big enough honor to get us a chair at the meeting.

I find a spot to the side of the clump of witch hunters and plop down. I'm on strike with this standing bull crap. I'm taking this news sitting down. It's been a long day. Maka sits down in front of me and gently taps my knee to indicate I should spread my legs so she can scooch into a loose spoon with me. I cross my fingers that Spirit will not pick up on this new found level of familiarity because a couple weeks ago I swear I'd be getting a damn nosebleed having her up next to me like this.

She touches my hand and pulsations shout through my body. I think I may have a new challenge on whatever mission we get sent on and that will be to keep my head in the game because I keep getting distracted by her scent and that incredibly cute way she looks all intense when awaiting Lord Death's reports.

Spirit turns around from where he and Stein were having a conversation, and glares at me which means that Maka and I are probably are going to be sent on a mission alone. He does this every time he knows we will be alone together which is ludicrous since we live together…but it isn't just about his daughter's chastity. He has a hard time trusting that I'll protect her. Ironic, since one look at the damn scar across my chest would proof to most folks that they don't need to worry about that, but I think in Spirit's world we never would have gotten into a situation where I would have had to do that in the first place. I think Maka is lucky that he lets her be a meister, because he's so protective of her I find it hard to believe he's never considered yanking her out of the DWMA and sending her to some normal school.

The sound of Tsubaki walking in on crutches brings me back to the present moment. She waves at us and walks our way while Black*Star goes over to Lord Death's little table and yanks a chair right out from under a Death Scythe who was about to sit down in it. He places the chair next to us and helps her ease down into it and then stands next to her holding her crutches. She thanks him and Maka is just starting to ask Tsubaki how her ankle is feeling when Lord Death starts the meeting.

"Hello, everyone! I'm glad to see you are all so well! Now I don't want to start this meeting on a _downer, but_ I think it only appropriate we get an update on poor Hiro's condition. Mira? Mira?"

Mira emerges from the crowd and informs us that Hiro is stable and will be pulling through, but may be paralyzed. The news hits everyone in the room hard. We accept injuries and pain without question but permanent things- like death or losing the use of legs…those enrage the group. No one has the right to take from our student body like that. The wavelengths in the room begin to mimic and build upon one another in a kind of communal call to action.

Several students raise their hands and suggest magical remedies or techniques we could try to use to return functioning to his legs, but Death holds up his hands.

"I assure you that Mira is very knowledgeable and will be doing everything she can to help Hiro, but we have a great deal else we need to discuss so let us just be satisfied that no lives were lost and get to talking about what we must do to take down these 'birdbrains' as some of you have taken to calling them."

"So, I've assembled a small team to fill us in on what we know."

"Thank you, Lord Death." Spirit and Professor Stein stand at the front of the room by Lord Death and Spirit begins. "Our adversaries come from a group that works on the fringe of the Witch organization, Bracken. This particular group is made up of demons that have over the years melded their souls with those of birds in an attempt to gain the special abilities of avians. Some have the ability to fly, others are flightless having melded with flightless birds or simply being unsuccessful in gaining all the attributes they were hoping to obtain. We observed a number of different fighting styles from the group. Some are able to drop egg bombs. This was the main way they did damage to the school."

"Kid, what attacks were they doing at your post?"

"Something called Caw-culator which seems to utilize numerology to increase the power of their attack. Also, Feather Freedom which will cause them to shoot feathers toward you like an arrow. Some of them even seem able to 'trickshot' the trajectory of the projectile."

"Alright, other attacks?"

"Maka and I got hit with Scat Attack," I offer. "They spit hard bits at us even ones that didn't look like birds of prey."

"Good. Anything else?"

A few other people offer a couple other attack styles they witnessed, Wings of Fury, which involves creating a powerful wind through the flapping of their wings and Poultry Pizazz some kind of attack that tries to interfere with a meister's ability to resonate with their weapon.

"Wonderful," Lord Death says. "You've all done very well!"

"The name of the organization these birdpeople belong to is called Avian Flu. What we know about them is scant. We are not sure of their leader's name or whereabouts, but we don't believe he was among those who attacked the school today. This was a mission he sent minions out on."

"What were they hoping to accomplish?" Marie asks.

"We believe they were hoping to gain access to the library."

I whisper in Maka's ear, "Sounds like they're even more voracious readers than you." She hushes me by swatting my leg, but her hand remains on my leg lingering there like it doesn't want to leave.

"We are not sure what texts they were hoping to acquire or destroy. The bombings appear to have been a diversion tactic as a small team of them were trying to gain entry into the library during the surprise attack."

Maka raises her hand. "They also were planning to gain leverage by taking hostages. They broke into a day care in the northeast sector and tried to take all the kids with them."

"Mmmmmmm," sqeaks Lord Death. "Hostages, eh? They do fight dirty. That's for sure." He taps his chin with his fingers as though in thought and then continues, "Our challenge is to uncover what exactly they are trying to extrapolate from us, learn the location of their headquarters, and the whereabouts of their leaders and put an end to any plans they have of once again engaging with us."

Then without further ado, Lord Death begins rattling off assignments to meister/weapon teams.

"Maka, you and Soul will track down and engage one of the main operatives, a creature known as Falconer. We suspect that he is orchestrating much of this from a location in Northern California."

"Black*Star and Tsubaki given Tsubaki's condition we feel it best the two of you remain here to assist in the protection of the library and my private vaults. It is highly possible we have a spy amongst us and that they may try to infiltrate us."

"Kid, Patti, Liz you three will-"

"Lord Death," Black*Star cuts in. "I don't get why we have to have an assignment here…Tsubaki's leg is gonna heal fast. We can handle an assignment further away."

"Of course, the leg will heal, but I don't think sending someone out on a remote assignment is wise when they are currently suffering from morning sickness."

Tsubaki visibly tenses, but Black*Star is obviously tuning out Lord Death as he forges ahead with his verbal argument that they should be given a different assignment. "Come on, Tsubaki…don't let him do this to us. We're a great team! We both know I need to be out there taking on the tough guys! We're the best team they've got!"

An animalistic growl begins to emerge from Tsubaki, as Black*Star continues to ramble on about how great a team they are and how he could beat every bird with one hand tied behind his back.

"UUUUUUURRRRRRGHGGGH! Black*Star, I'm pregnant!"

And with that every head in the room whirls to stare directly at Black*Star.

"What the fuck did you do?" I shout at him though I immediately realize that is probably the _dumbest _thing to say at a moment like this, because it's pretty obvious what he did.

Black*Star looks extremely confused and then raises his arms and starts to chuckle from way down in his gut. "Tsubaki, you know how this stuff works, right? I mean for you to be pregnant we would have had to have sex!"

Tsubaki rises from the chair and yanks the crutches from his hand her face wearing what truly could be described as a look that could kill. As she positions the crutches under her armpits she says to him, "Black*Star, I know how babies get made, but I guess you don't because you seem to think I couldn't become pregnant without your help."

"You couldn't!" Oh, my God…he is so dumb. I know Black*Star can be dense, but he's so blindsided by this he doesn't even get what she is telling him.

"Let me spell it out for you," she says angrily. "I am pregnant. I had sex. It just wasn't with _you_. It's only hard for an egomaniac like _you_ to figure out!"

"Are you telling me someone snuck in under my watch and got my woman pregnant?"

Tsubaki's nostril's flare with anger and I half expect her to switch into her weapon form and clobber him. "Black*Star I may be your weapon but I am _not_ your property and I am most certainly _not_ your 'woman'." She turns her head to address Lord Death. "I'm sorry, Lord Death, but you are going to need to reassign me. I want to work with a different meister." And with that she heads out of the meeting under the guilletin arches at an amazingly fast pace for a person on crutches.

The shocked silence hanging over the room is abruptly interrupted by Kid.

"Father," he scolds. "What were you thinking? She hasn't told people yet!"

With those words everyone's heads whirl toward Kid, who is standing with one of his partners seated on either side of him in a perfectly symmetrical grouping.

"What's everyone looking at me for?" the young reaper asks with bewilderment.

"Why you little piece of shit! How could you knock up Tsubaki! I'll kill you, you son-of-a-bitch," Black*Star screams as he runs across the Death Room toward Kid.

Chaos erupts in the meeting as Maka and I attempt to hold Black*Star back from attacking Kid while Liz and Patti step in front of their meister protectively. They're yelling and we're yelling and everyone is trying to do anything they can to get Black*Star to calm the fuck down.

Regardless of how bad Kid's statement a moment ago may have sounded I know there is no way Kid has been sleeping with Tsubaki. Didn't he and I just have a discussion the other day about his lack of a love life?

"Back off Black*Star, Kid's not the father," Liz says staring at Black*Star threateningly.

"Black*Star, don't lose your cool, man!" I speak directly into his ear as he attempts to shake Maka and me off him.

"Yeah, you moron, Kid would never do something like that," Patti squeaks and turns to gaze at her meister affectionately. "Kid's a gentleman."

"Then why's he know? How come _he_ knows and I don't?" Black*Star snarls.

"Maybe because you're an ass," I offer and Maka hits me with her free hand.

"I was trying to be helpful," I tell her.

She frowns at me, "No you weren't." I grin. No, I wasn't and I _should_ be serious but Black*Star is being such a jack ass that I couldn't help myself, besides someone needs to try to have a sense of humor about all of this, right?

From behind his partners, Kid explains, "I have Soul Perception, you idiot. Maka, my father, and I couldn't _not_ know. Our Soul Perception is so advanced that we have the ability to see the baby's soul. I'm sorry. My father didn't know she hadn't told you."

Black*Star stops fighting against the restraint from Maka and me. "It has a soul?" he asks suddenly much more calm.

"It's not fully formed yet," explains Maka. "But there's a little hazy dot floating in its mother's belly that will eventually become a full-fledged soul."

Black*Star's shoulders slump and he throws me and Maka off of him and we each go flying backwards in opposite directions. "Well, if it wasn't Kid then who was it?" His eyes scan the room and come to rest on me and I shake my head frantically. Thankfully, he believes me and comes to stand next to me.

"What the fuck?" he says vigorously rubbing his hands through his hair. This whole thing is a little too daytime soapish for me, but Black*Star and Tsubaki are my friends so I figure as much as I'd like to pretend none of this is happening I can't. I care about both of them so by default I am involved whether I like it or not.

"Come on, Black*Star, let's go get some air."


	21. Chapter 21: Hard to Hear

Chapter 21: Hard to Hear; The Creation of a Soul?

I practically have to take Black*Star's hand to lead him out of the Death Room, he's so stunned by Tsubaki's news that it's as though he has been hit with one of those special attacks that make you get all confused. It's hard to see my friend like this. Yes, he is an egomaniac and a male chauvinist and it's a mystery to all of us how Tsubaki has put up with him thus far, but I really feel for him. I wish this were a video game so he could get a do-over.

There's so much about all this that seems unreal. We're not kids anymore, but we are about as far away from being ready to have kids as you can be. I haven't even seriously thought about whether I even want to have kids and one of my friends is going to have a baby? The whole thing is freaking me out. I feel like I need to buy every condom in Death City to protect myself from this horror. I'm probably going to have heart palpations the next time I'm messing around with Maka and they aren't going to be the good kind. Having a baby is so permanent…like Hiro's legs…at the DWMA we aren't good at dealing with things where you don't get second chances.

I take Black*Star to the gym and grab the basketball that is always under Professor Boomer's desk ready for use by any student needing to let off some steam. I dribble out to the court and throw the ball at Black*Star who almost misses catching it because he's so out of it. He takes the ball and shouts, but his brain is clearly not in the game as the ball hits the rim and bounces back toward him and he doesn't go after it. I run over and grab it and intend to shout it towards him but he abruptly turns away shaking his head, "I don't get it, Soul. I thought we were happy."

I can't help myself; I burst out laughing totally messing up the trajectory of the ball. "Dude, she's your partner not your wife!" We take turns shooting, not playing a game, but keeping ourselves busy while talking.

He looks at me with shock. "What do you mean? We're partners. We're meant to be together. That's how it works. It'd be like you or Maka going off with someone else. It's not supposed to happen." Oh, I am _super_ glad that Maka and I kept our happy news private because having us _finally_ become an official "item" might reinforce Black*Star's delusion that Tsubaki is automatically his lover simply because she's his partner.

"Black*Star, quit being stupid. Being partners doesn't mean you can't date or fool around with whoever you want. Maka and I have always been free to do whatever." Until today of course, when the ethereal "Property of Soul Eater" sign went around Maka's neck and my blood pressure lowered by twenty points, but nothing is going to make me admit that to him.

"Yeah, right! You throw a _fit_ any time another guy hits on her. I saw you go all scythe-arm behind her back when Akira was coming on to her that one day at lunch."

I make a basket from the three point line but he doesn't even notice. "I admit it…I've intimidated the competition, but you're assuming you've already won."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Ugh! Am I really going to be forced to have this conversation? We play basketball and video games together. We don't talk about _feelings_. That's what I do with Maka. Maybe I can get Maka to talk to him. They like to fight with each other and that way _she_ can be the one to tell him how calling Tsubaki "his woman" made him look like a troglodyte in front of the entire DWMA.

But, unfortunately, Maka is not here and I am. I sigh, besides maybe it will be easier to hear some of this from someone who has been in his shoes…sort of in his shoes. I mean, I love my partner, but I'm not stupid like he is. I'm stupid in my own special way.

"You haven't asked Tsubaki to marry you have you?"

"No."

"Have you two made any kind of promise…agreement… pact… vow… to that effect?" I think of as many synonyms for the word "promise" as I can from the vocabulary lessons Maka bought me.

"No."

"Yet you called her 'your woman' in front of everybody, like she's a piece of property. Black*Star, _I_ was offended and I'm a _dude_. It's not cool to treat her like that and you came off like a damn meister chauvinist. Demon weapons are _people_ not tools."

"But, she _is_ my woman. She takes care of me and keeps me company and cooks for me and stuff. I need somebody and Tsubaki makes sure this soon-to-be-god gets three square meals a day and gets to have fun and-"

He sings her praises to me yet he treats her like that in front of everyone else? What a fucking moron. I'm definitely going to have to teach him this lesson myself man to man.

"Have you ever thanked her?"

Black*Star is silent and I take that as a no.

"Look, I understand feeling hurt because you didn't know she was seeing someone, as partners you kind of expect to know stuff like that about each other, but that doesn't mean you don't owe her a _huge _apology."

"Great," he says sarcastically. "She's the one who breaks up our partnership by getting knocked up and _I'm_ supposed to apologize? That's bullshit. I'm not even the dumb one who had sex without a rubber."

"She went out with some dude and didn't tell you. Big fuckin' deal, man. So your heart is broken! Get over it. She's your friend and she's going to be having a fucking _baby_. She needs your support right now. Quit bein' a douche. It's not cool. I know you care about her."

"So, you wouldn't be mad if Maka had done the same thing to you?"

"That's just it! Tsubaki didn't _do_ anything to _you_. This isn't about you. Black*Star, you are so full of yourself and how this screws up your plans. Well, you know what? Before I left town she showed up at our apartment bawling- her entire world is falling apart and you're more worried about getting the glory of great combat and having someone to cook meals for you. Who's fucking going to take care of her? I'm no expert on the subject but I think being pregnant is supposed to be a really big deal. Like doesn't she need help or something?"

He grunts at me. "You into her now, too?"

I groan because he successfully steals the ball from me and because he's so damn dense I can hardly believe it. "This is about her. Be her friend," I tell him.

"Easy for you to say. Everything you do for Maka is because you want to sleep with her."

"That is not true. I do stuff because I'm her partner and her friend. I care about her."

"And you have the fuckin' hots for her," he says to me emphatically.

"Yes! I have the hots for Maka, but I guarantee you I would never ditch her if something like this happened."

"I didn't ditch Tsubaki and you know it. She ditched me. You heard her. _She_ asked to be reassigned."

"She might need some space for a while, but just because she's temporarily working with someone else doesn't mean you should give up on the friendship you guys have. Black*Star, you're a better friend than this and we both know it. You're just mad because you know she was a virgin and you thought you were gonna make it with her first-"

"What are you talkin' '_first_'? I'm supposed to be her one and only. _Ever_." Oh, wow that's super realistic.

How do I explain to him that none of us know if she _has _or has _ever _had romantic feelings for him? I think he has mistaken her constant companionship as a signal she wants him because most people can't hang around him that much because of what an annoying prick he can be.

"OK, Soul, if you're so damn smart about women and the meister/weapon relationship, you tell me what you would do if Maka came home and said she got knocked up by some dude you didn't even know. You telling me you'd just sit there and talk to her all patient and nice?" He says mockingly and tosses the ball at me aggressively.

"Yes," I say without hesitation while fumbling for the ball. He quirks his eyebrow, questioning the truthfulness of my answer. "And then when she wasn't around I would drink myself into a stupor and probably stay in bed for days feeling sorry for myself," I add.

"See? " He says feeling vindicated.

"And then I'd try to learn more about the guy and if he was cool I'd do whatever I had to do to learn to live with her choice, because I wouldn't want to lose her from my life completely."

"You sure you're not gay?"

I roll my eyes. I hate it when he makes gay jokes. It's so not cool.

"You know what I'd tell Maka if she did this to you? I'd ask her what the fuck she was doin' sleeping with some dude who wasn't you, because you're so awesome."

I lean my head back and laugh. OK, now I remember why I love Black*Star, he _totally_ feeds my ego. "Sorry, dude but there is _no way_ in hell I'm scolding Tsubaki for sleeping with some dude. I know you've wanted her since the moment you laid eyes on her, but her love life's none of my business."

"Then what the fuck are you doing lecturing me for?"

"I said her _love life_ is none of my business. Being a shitty friend is totally my business cause-"

"Don't go all Hallmark on me, Soul. Fuck, what has Maka done to you? You are so damn whipped."

"Thanks man, I appreciate that. 'Cause the high points of my day have been standing here talking to you about feelings and holding you back from throttling Kid for something he didn't even do."

Black*Star stops with the ball under his arm. "There is no way you mean half the pansy-ass shit coming out of your trap right now. Speaking of pansy ass… whaddup, Kid?"

Kid has entered the gym and approaches us a half smile on his lips. "Nice to see you, too, Black*Star. You going to apologize for jumping to the _crazy_ conclusion that I dated and laid Tsubaki behind your back?"

"In his defense it did sound kind of bad what you said," I admit.

The reaper rolls his eyes. "Yes, well, it wasn't as big a faux pas as my father's. I can't believe he announced to everyone Tsubaki was pregnant like that. I feel so sorry for her."

"So, I take it you don't know who the father is?" I say.

"No, in fact it wasn't even Tsubaki who talked to me. Maka told me that Tsubaki wanted my discretion as I would probably stumble upon the truth at some point very soon."

Black*Star hangs his head and mumbles, "Dude, I'm sorry about earlier. I know you would never date Tsubaki."

"Why do you say that?" Kid says. "I might decide I want to. Knowing that everyone thought she would be into me is a great ego boost and she's so gorgeous and thoughtful and-"

"You wouldn't," Black*Star growls.

"Oh, I'm sorry I forgot she's 'your woman'," Kid says teasing him.

"You call Patti and Liz 'your ladies' all the time!"

"Yes, because they are my _ladies_…and my companions, but I don't require them to be in some kind of romantic entanglement with me. They are simply my weapons and my friends."

"Oh, no! I'm not going to let you lecture me, too," Black*Star complains.

"Oh, good! Thank you, Soul, for having laid the ground work for me to expound upon all the reasons why Black*Star owes Tsubaki an apology."

"You know what? Both of you guys fucking suck."

Kid smiles. "As do you, my friend, as do you. Now come with me and we'll go together to apologize to your friend, Tsubaki. Not your _woman_, your _**friend**_."

Black*Star grumbles as Kid takes him by the arm and leads him out of the gym. I follow behind after tossing the ball back under the desk all the while hoping that Black*Star doesn't somehow manage to dig himself an even deeper hole with the girl he wants to be with for the rest of his life.


	22. Chapter 22: Guilt, Pity and Shame

Chapter 22: Guilt, Pity and Shame; Wavelengths on a rollercoaster?

Kid tells us that we didn't miss much after we left the meeting, other than Lord Death rattling off more assignments and Joe complaining that he can't figure out how to get his favorite barista to come on assignment with him.

"I'm guessing Father will probably partner you with Harvar again since you two worked well together," he tells Black*Star.

Black*Star's lips curve downward in what I can only assume is supposed to be a manly version of a pout. "But, I'm supposed to be with Tssssuubbbakkkiiii." His whining grates on my nerves.

"Well maybe you still can be if you talk to her," Kid says. "She's in the courtyard with the girls and now that you've both had some time to think maybe you'll come up with a different solution."

I don't say anything because I'm not sure there's enough time in the world for Black*Star to get over the fact his partner is carrying some other guy's baby, but then again you never know every once in a while my hyper, over-the-top boisterous bro does something that surprises me. Like when Kim found that orphaned kitten that needed to be bottle fed and Black*Star took care of it for a whole day so she could have a break from the every four hour feedings or that time he snuck into Professor Boomer's office and filled the entire place with balloons…but the truth is he had Tsubaki's help both times. There's a lot that is different between the relationships each of us has with our respective partners, but both of us are better people thanks to them.

We slowly walk toward the courtyard talking, but never about our upcoming missions, the birdpeople, or the baby. That's all too heavy. Right now, it's all video games, basketball, and rap music.

We step outside and are hit by the warm, day Nevada air. It's hot today, but there is a nice breeze for once. It's not quite dusk yet, but it will be getting dark soon. Were I able to stop time I'd be happy to sit out here on a blanket snuggling till the sun went down, but I know that all of us have a lot to get done before we leave on our assignments tomorrow. Not that you could tell if by looking at us.

Patti and Liz are sitting on the grass facing a backless bench on which Tsubaki is stretched out on her back. Maka is standing near them and they seem to be talking fairly normally. Women must be more resilient than men because I'm still shaken up by this explosive news and Kid soul wave length reveals he is on edge perhaps out of fear that he will once again say something that will have Black*Star trying to jump him again.

As we walk up to the girls I sense a segregation that I'm not used to what with all the boys grouped together and all the girls together. I imagine many school dances are like this and perhaps that's why I don't enjoy that sort of thing. I don't like being disconnected from Maka in this way it makes it seem as though we've had another fight, when we should be totally OK with one another right now.

"Hey, Black*Star," Liz says cluing Tsubaki that we are here.

The group is curiously silent.

"Tsubaki," he starts.

"Oh, what do you want?" she asks him angrily holding a hand over her brow to shade her eyes from the sun.

"I wanted to make sure you're ok."

"I'm fine," she says without a hint of sarcasm. "Other than the ankle and having a baby on the way and having a partner who is a total and complete asshole I'm doing great."

"I'm sorry about earlier. I was really surprised. I didn't even know you had a boyfriend and it's not like you're easy or something. I mean, I've been trying to get in your pants for-"

Kid ever so subtly adjusts his stance so that he is standing on Black*Star's foot with his entire weight. The tactic works and the doofus quits talking. I realize now that perhaps we should have given our friend more coaching about _how_ exactly to apologize, because if Black*Star's not careful he could dig himself an even deeper hole than the one he's in.

"Black*Star, I know you think you're having a craptastic day," says Patti. "But, I think Tsubaki has you beat."

"Yeah, I know that," says Black*Star but then he says nothing more. He just stands there looking at his weapon as she lays there on the bench more or less ignoring him.

This all feels super awkward; I don't think any of us know what to do. I'm sure some people would say we should leave Tsubaki and her partner…er…ex-partner alone to talk, but I can only imagine that would lead to a yelling match rivaling the one Maka and I had today. Kid and I can't abandon him when he's as befuddled as he is.

Deciding to promote himself to mediator, Kid begins to ask questions that Black*Star would be asking if he weren't stupid as shit.

"Tsubaki," his voice is calm and gentle and lacking any judgment. "Do we know the father?"

"No," Tsubaki says still facing the sky rather than the rest of us. "You guys don't know him. He's from my village. We weren't close or anything, but our families have known each other for ages."

Kid nods and apologetically asks, "I know it's not our business…but I think Black*Star would like to know if you are in love with him?"

She is silent for a time and I wonder what kinds of thoughts she must be having. Are they about the baby? About this guy? About Black*Star? About her future? It's kind of terrifying to think about it all. She emits a squeak and then her body starts quaking. She sobs. "I thought I was… I trusted him-"

Black*Star walks up to her and gently takes her face in his hands so he can look directly into her eyes. His voice is the quietest I have ever heard it, "Tsubaki, did he make you?" This is a side of Black*Star I've never seen before and I wonder how often it makes an appearance for her. He's like a completely different person. She closes her eyes and shakes her head.

"No, it wasn't like that. A part of me wishes it had been so I wouldn't feel so stupid. He pressured me, but it was my choice. I don't know what came over me. What a fool I am! What was I thinking? I barely knew him."

Liz runs over and scoops Tsubaki's torso into her arms wrapping herself around her sobbing friend. "It's ok, Tsubaki. Trusting people doesn't mean you're stupid. It means you know how to be a friend."

Tsubaki grunts. "Yeah, some friend. I met Kyo, that's his name, the other day for lunch and I told him…about the baby." She pauses, her eyes staring off into the distance obviously reliving that difficult moment. "He seemed to take it OK but he kept saying that we didn't need to rush anything; that we had plenty of time to decide what to do and that seemed reasonable enough. Then when we were almost finished with lunch he excused himself to go to the bathroom. I waited twenty minutes." My heart begins to sink…I have a bad feeling about where this is going. "Twenty minutes! And then I went and stood outside the men's room until another guy was going in and I told him that I was waiting for Kyo to come out and could he check that he was OK because he'd been in there a long time and then the man came out and apologized because there wasn't anyone in the men's room. He had left me. I freaked out and ran out of the restaurant, but then I realized I hadn't paid, so I had to go back in."

Then in between sobs she says, "I…even… had to… pay…. for his… lunch."

I've heard stories about men doing some heartless things to women, but this is terrible. I'm ashamed to be male. I feel ashamed for having ever had a sexual thought about a girl. What a total and complete shithead! How can somebody do that? I'm sure it's scary as shit to hear you're going to be a dad, but how do you just walk away from someone you helped get into a bind like this?

I see her meister's muscles tensing as his jaw locks and nostrils flare as though he has been challenged by a witch. He moves one of his fists behind his back and it forms a fist so tight that the entire thing is white. He says nothing, but I suspect that it is because like me he is speechless. Are there words strong enough to describe our anger at this person who would be so careless with her? All I know is Black*Star may not get to murder this asshole because if I find him first I'll kill him myself.

"Star, I'm so sorry you found out like this. I wanted to tell you, but I didn't know how. I couldn't have you disappointed in your partner."

"Tsubaki, don't you _dare_ say another negative word about yourself," Maka orders. "You are one of the sweetest, nicest people I have ever met and you treat everyone with patience and compassion. Please, promise me you will be compassionate to yourself. Stuff happens. One way or another it will all be OK."

I smile ever so slightly and let my eyes linger on my meister. She's gifted. I'm all thumbs when it comes to words, but she a musician of vernacular. I can stand here with my hands in my pockets saying nothing and she can read my soul and express what I wish I had the words to say. It's one of the things I love about her, perhaps never more than at this moment when I am so out of my element.

Liz rubs her hand up and down Tsubaki's arm. "Besides, Tsubaki it's not like you're the first girl to get taken in by some asshole. I don't think Kid has ever told you that when he first met me and Patti I was with this guy who I thought loved me, but at least once a week he'd go out and get hammered. Then he'd come home, and he was an angry drunk. Sometimes Patti would have to transform just so we could protect ourselves. He'd throw things and yell horrible things. Once he pushed me into a wall so hard I thought he broke my arm. We lived that way for a long time till we met Kid and he taught us that wasn't how people who care about one another act."

This is the first time I've ever heard Liz talk about her past, but somehow it makes perfect sense to me that Kid would chose for his partner a couple girls who deserved a far better life. I wonder if that ex-boyfriend of hers was the first victim of his now famous upside down, double-handed gun shots.

Tsubaki sits up and says, "Thanks, you're all so sweet… I've been so worried about what you'd think of me."

"_I _think its super cool that you have a little buddy," says Liz grinning and leaning toward our friend's belly. "Hello, little baby bud!"

"Well, I'm glad _someone's_ amused," Tsubaki says sweetly. "But, I don't know what I'm going to do. I don't know if I'm going to keep the baby or put it up for adoption," with each thing she lists her speech, normally slow and even, speeds up like a whirling amusement park ride and her soul wavelength becomes more lopsided. "And how I can manage going to school and missions and a baby and I'm so stressed out and what if I get really sick I mean I know some women who are fine for the whole time but I also know people who've been on bed rest for months or almost died having a baby and I'm scared."

Black*Star hops up and shoves Liz out of the way, stealing her spot on the bench next to his weapon. He wraps his arms around her in a tight hug. "Tsubaki, don't get yourself all worked up. You're smart you'll figure it out and I'll be here to help-"

"But, Star, you need to go and do your mission-"

"HMPFH!" He lets go of her and crosses his arms. "What do you take me for Tsubaki? Of course I'm not going to partner with someone else. Sounds to _me _like you need me now more than ever. You need a _real_ man who'll take care of you and that's what I'm gonna do."

She smiles in spite of the tears still glistening on her face. "That's really sweet, Star, but I think it's better for everyone if you and Harvar go on the mission and I stay behind and help out here. You're right, you need to be out there. Lord Death needs you where you can do the most good and that's not here. It's out there kicking ass. And right now I _need_ to be here. I'm starting to get really queasy. I've thrown up every night for the last week."

"At home?" her meister scratches his head. "How did I not hear you? Is my godly hearing failing me?"

She shakes her head and looks down at her feet guiltily. "No, I didn't want you to worry about me so after you turn in for the night; I go for a walk and throw up in the park… or the gutter somewhere…"

Black*Star's eyes about pop out of their sockets. "Tsubaki!" He scolds. "You know better than to go out alone late at night! I can't believe this. You shouldn't be having to deal with-"

"Don't you dare _pity_ me, Black*Star. This was my _choice_ and I will _not_ have you pitying me. I need some time and space and I will decide what to do and then I will let you know, but you need to go do your own thing for a while and go on living your life while I decide what _my_ future will be like." She rests her hand on his knee and very softly asks him, "Can you do that for me? Please, Star?"

"Errrr…ok…if that's what you want, but you're not going to do anything stupid while I'm away are you?"

"What could I do that would be stupider than this? It's not like I can get knocked up a second time," she says with a sad little laugh.

"I'm serious. You're my wom-_weapon_ and I need to know that you will take care of yourself while I'm gone. Otherwise I _need_ to be here. No more midnight walks alone. No more hiding stuff from your friends. You need to concentrate on making yourself feel better and doing whatever _you_ need to do so that you feel good so we can be together again. I don't like seeing you sad, Tsubaki."

"Thanks," Tsubaki says and her eyes tear up, but this time I can tell they aren't sad tears.

"Yeah, Tsubaki, anything you need. We'll do, ok?" I say and she nods.

"Don't worry guys, I'll be fine. I promise," says the mom-to-be. She stands up and each of us gives her a hug and Black*Star is smart enough not to try to kiss her or grab her ass when it's his turn, which is a relief to me since I feel responsible for him for some weird reason.

Then she takes a deep breath and smiles, "What are you all standing around for? You have missions to prepare for! Go, make me proud! I have to go to the library and start investigating what they might have been trying to steal."

None of us move; we all linger there looking at her as she musters her strength to deal with all she has on her plate these days.

Shaking her head at us, she says, "Oh, good grief, I'm not dying…" For a moment she pauses as if the thought that a new life is coming into the world as a result of this heartache has just hit her. "Quite the opposite…so, get going or I'll go kusarigama on you!"


	23. Chapter 23: What Every Man Wants

Chapter 23: What Every Man Wants; Maka Misbehaves?

I feel an entire world away from the worries I had when I woke up at Isabel's house this morning. I can't help grinning when I think that tomorrow I will get to wake up knowing that my meister is in love with me. Despite all the bad stuff that has happened today it still feels as though a weight has been lifted off of me. No more worries about spending my life hopelessly devoted to a girl who only likes me as a brother. Of course, I still must be careful or I could lose her as a friend, but I don't think that could ever happen to Maka and me. I heard something one time that said lovers were one soul living in two bodies…and while I know that's a bunch of hooey I do feel like we have a very special bond.

As we head for home, Maka holds my hand, which is nothing new but somehow now it means a lot more because I know why she's doing it. She loves me! I am so damn lucky! Oh, I can hardly wait to get her home and-

"Oh, no!" I suddenly stop walking and shout.

"What?" Maka asks from her spot now a step ahead of me.

"Sorry, I forgot. I left Brunnie by the main staircase. I gotta go back and get her." I guess I'm too in my head right now to be thinking about what I actually need to be. Oops!

"Wow, you must be stressed out." Maka says playfully. "What kind of father forgets their child?" She teases me endlessly about my obsession with our bike. She claims that it isn't normal to carry a photo of your motorcycle in your wallet, but she has no facts to back her up on that.

"I'll meet you back at the apartment," I say starting to dash back.

"Naw, I'll come with you. I could use a ride. It's been awhile."

As the front staircase comes into view I feel my stomach getting tied in knots. There's caution tape up around areas where chunks of the walls of the staircase have been blasted off and Brunnie isn't visible.

"Oh, no, no, no, no, fuck no!" I run to where I parked her and find her covered by a pile of rubble.

I run my hands through my hair in anguish and turn away sickened by the sight. "Shit, shit, shit…" I'm overwhelmed. Oh, Death, what am I going to find under there?

"Damn, shit, fuck…" I mutter as I take in the devastation.

Maka reaches me and takes in the scene. "Soul, cussing isn't going to help," she says leaning over and heaving a good size rock off of where I'm guessing the rear wheel is.

I was counting on us using the bike on this assignment what are we going to do without it? I'm spoiled. I can't go back to walking! Shinigami, this sucks!

"You gonna help or is unburying our bike a meister job?" she teases as she picks up another sizable chuck of stairwell.

"Oh, yeah, sorry…" I say setting to work.

"Brunnie really is your baby isn't she?"

"Yup. The best kind-no midnight feedings, no dirty diapers, no wailing,"

"I dunno when her brakes were going out I think that was worse than a baby crying."

That was pretty bad. For three days Brunnie was making this high pitch squeak every time we needed to use the brakes. Fortunately, with me at the helm brakes don't get applied very often.

It's hard work uncovering her because we can't tell what might be crushed or tangled amongst the junk on top of her. Maka sits down for a moment to catch her breath, sweat pooling on her forehead. "This isn't even a legal parking spot. Why the heck did you park her here?"

I look at her. Has she already forgotten the chaos when I got here?

"I was in a bit of a hurry. I had a meister to protect."

"Oh, sorry," she turns a bit red being reminded that I was probably more or less in a state of panic when I dumped Brunnie.

"No prob," I say not taking my eyes off the bike. "I cannot believe no one noticed her when they were putting up the caution tape. They need to be more observant. She could have been another bomb or something."

Maka says nothing but gets back up and starts working on a part near the seat.

Once uncovered we find that Brunhilde is battered, but more or less intact. The seat cushion has gotten ripped and she dented all to shit, but the only thing I think that will prevent us form using her is the rear wheel. It's bent super badly.

"What's this?" Maka runs her hand over the patch where Tommy fixed the leak.

"She had a leak in the gas tank. I got this guy to patch her. He asked me if he needed to make her look pretty and I said not to worry scars add character, but I think she's got more than enough character now." She's a wreck. I sit down. "Ugh!"

"I don't think it's that bad. The mechanisms seem intact…"

"Yeah, but what the fuck can we do about that wheel?"

"We could bang it back into shape."

"She's not a bicycle, Maka. She's gonna need some work."

"I have an idea."

We walk up to the biker bar, The Rolling Rage, park Brunnie out front, and walk in.

I try to look like it isn't totally odd to have a couple teenagers wander it. In Death City, the police department tolerates the DWMA students entering bars, but they get a little testy with us when we actually drink. Therefore, DWMA students have created their own underground network of establishments that will serve us or sell to us black market style. Everybody even Maka who gets so uptight about following the rules manages to let things slide on this one because you kind of need to unwind when your homework consists of risking your life to save the world from evil. That being said, I don't know of any DWMA students who come to this bar. It's pretty hardcore and most of the students want a livelier atmosphere with pool tables and karaoke and the like.

"What brings you in today?" says the bartender. He's probably in his thirties, muscular with tattoos of snakes all over his arms. They remind me of Medusa and I shudder a little recalling the witch's cruel nature. "Something we can do for you?"

I nod. "I got a problem with my bike. It got hit by a bunch of rubble-"

The guy appears to be talking to Maka and not to me as he ignores me completely as I speak. I take a look at Maka and see that she is looking especially attractive with her hair tousled and a layer of sweat, dirt, and grease on her. It's probably a look bikers are into. It doesn't matter to me. I hadn't really noticed beings as I'm into her no matter how's she's dressed.

"You fight those birds today?" The man asks her.

"Yes, she did. She took on seven of them all by herself," I reply. I'm never slow to brag about my meister's abilities because she's way too modest.

A number of very large guys raise their glasses in a little toast to her and then return to staring into their drinks.

"Well," she explains. "I was only alone for a little while. Then Soul came and helped."

"Which one of you's the meister?" The bartender says waggling his finger back and forth between us.

"I am," she says with pride.

He closes his eyes and I fear that he is having some kind of S & M fantasy. He opens his eyes and scans me up and down and frowns. I must not fit his image of someone worthy to be with my meister.

"Anyway, I was hoping that maybe you could help us. We're leaving on assignment tomorrow and our motorcycle's rear wheel got bent super bad. She was parked by the main staircase and-"

"You like bikes?" he leans forward and asks her.

Oh, Death, really? He's going to blatantly hit on her in front of me? _I'm right here, dude!_

"Yes, I do," she answers politely. "But I like them better when we can ride them. It saves us a lot of time on our assignments."

"How long you been in to motorcycles?"

"Well, really only since we…acquired this one. She's our baby."

"You got a name for her?"

"Brunhilde, like in Norse mythology. She was one of the Valkyries. The name roughly translates to 'armor' or 'protection' and 'battle'. It was Soul's idea. He likes classical music and Wagner's Ring Cycle is one of his favorites."

He glances my way for a millisecond and then is back to paying attention to Maka. "Well, that's good. All bikes gotta have names and its gotta be a woman's name. You get a better ride that way. They like it if you talk to 'em and love 'em." He says this slowly, as he strokes the bar with a rag but he's watching Maka in a way that makes me very uncomfortable. I'm not sure how much longer I am willing to stand here while this dude talks to my meister about his theories on 'riding.'

"I _love_ riding," Maka replies as though she hasn't caught the innuendo at all. "It's great to feel so much _power_ between my legs."

My jaw about hits the floor. Maka! Don't encourage this asshole.

"I bet you do," he says once again glancing my way as though he suspects I'm a limp dick. Oh, fuck you, asshole. I would totally beat the crap out of you if I wasn't desperate to get my bike fixed. I grumble. I haven't been Maka's boyfriend for a full twenty-four hours yet and she's already having to whore herself out for our benefit. Wonderful.

"Well," he says stepping out from behind the counter and walking over to place a hand on her shoulder. "How 'bout you show me the problem and maybe me and some of my buddies can pull an all-nighter and get her fixed up for yah."

"Oh, that would be wonderful. I'd really appreciate it." Maka smiles and turns to lead him outside to take a look at the bike and the bartender finally acknowledges me with a curt, "You can wait here." I don't. Fuck that. I'm not letting him alone with her. This is ridiculous; he's probably older than her dad.

He gives Brunnie a once-over and whistles, "Woowee, you weren't kidding when you said that wheel was messed up."

"Is it repairable?" she asks.

"It's repairable. When you say you gotta leave on this mission?"

"_In the morning_," I say ignoring the fact he was clearly asking Maka and not me.

"Well, we'll get her fixed for ya. It'll be done tomorrow morning."

"Oh, thank you so much. What can I ever do to repay you?" Maka gushes and I cringe. I half expect him to unzip his pants right here and now. I feel dirty.

"Nothin', you kids worked hard today. I'm sure things would have been a lot worse without all the meisters out there."

Oh, and he's a meister chauvinist. I might have known. I _hate_ people like that. The weapon is just some damn tool, disposable, right? What an asshole and I'll bet you anything he thinks I'm gay because I'm a dude who is a weapon and I like classical music.

"Thanks so much. We'll be here at eight. That isn't too early is it?"

"Naw," he replies leering at her. "Whatever you need, baby doll."

We walk away and I swear I can feel his eyes watching us. I'm sure they are fixed on Maka's cute ass. I feel like puking. Between having to stand by while that guy flirted with Maka to seeing Brunnie's battered body, I'm really not feeling good.

"Was that entirely necessary?" I ask her when we've gotten out of ear shot.

"What?" she asks feigning innocence.

I make quote marks in the air with my hands and make a girly voice, "'I like feeling power between my legs.'"

"It worked didn't it?"

"Yeah, a little too well. I think you just filled his spank bank."

"Oh, I doubt that. You're so sensitive, Soul. You forget that just because you're hot for me doesn't mean every other guy I meet is trying to get into my pants."

"Yes, they are. _Every_ guy is always trying to get in to every girl's pants. That's how it works, Maka. You can deny it all you want, but I'm a guy; I know."

She shakes her head. "Maybe if I were some super model or something, but I'm very average."

I take her hand and pull her toward me, "There is nothing _average_ about you." I give her a kiss while pulling her close enough to me that she will know without a doubt just _how_ hot I am for her right now.

She moans happily. "Soul, wait till we get home."

"I'm trying…" I say trailing kisses down her neck. Oh, man I want to lay her down and screw her in every way imaginable…

"Hurry," she says running away from me in the direction of our place.

By the time we get home I am so turned on that I struggle to get the key in the lock. I open the door and we practically tumble in. She shuts the door behind us and locks _both _locks and then proceeds to jump me. She wraps her legs around me and her arms around my neck. Her lips lock onto mine. We are wild. My lips kiss any part of her they can find, unwilling to let go until I absolutely have to. She starts to rub her groin on mine and I start moaning. If she does that there is no way I'm going to be able to hold her. I lean against the wall for support while she's still wrapped around me. Her lips move from mine to my ear gently exploring every nook and crevice with her tongue.

"Maka…" I begin to say something but words seem unnecessary when I have the ability to show her with my body so I start allowing myself to buck my hips, thrusting myself towards her core. I want her so bad for so many reasons, but all I can think of right now is how badly I'd love to strip her naked, carry her to my bed, and pound her till she screams my name so loud the neighbors hear.

She breaks away from kissing my flesh, panting like she's run a marathon, but she's not spent. She's not even taking much of a break as I feel one of her hands starting to worm its way toward my waist. I slide down the wall to sit on the floor, never letting my lips leave hers. Now both of her hands are working to undo my belt and unbutton my pants. She unzips me and her right hand dives into my underwear squeezing me and stretching me out to my full length. God, it feels good to have some more room.

She takes a gander at me and whispers, "Soul, I can't believe how big and hard you are." She sounds concerned, "Is it from the Black Blood?"

I laugh. "No, it's all you, Maka." And then I whisper in her ear, "I want you super bad."

Sitting there making out with her I realize that we still have our jackets on and so I start shaking my arms to get mine off as it's _way_ too hot, plus it's a little ridiculous to have my coat on and my pants down. As soon as I get my coat off Maka is pulling my t-shirt off over my head. I toss it across the room paying no attention to where it lands.

With purpose she begins kissing my face, then my neck making her way down and the further down she goes the more I get tingles that go right to my hard on. I can't help but move in response to those gentle kisses and licks and the way one of her hands is caressing my most intimate areas. She kisses my naval and I am about in hysterics and then she follows it up by kissing the head of my cock. I shiver. She brings her tongue to my base and runs her tongue down my length and then repeats the route with kisses. I'm watching her, totally blown away by how sexy she is. She's got to be nervous, but she doesn't seem it at all.

She pulls me into her mouth and I am met with the sensation of plunging into some place warm and wet and the shock of being inside her. I don't dare move I just sit there letting her set the pace and do whatever she wants. She gently pulls me in and out of her mouth and the more she does it the more easily I'm gliding in and out. I can feel precum leaking from my tip as she pulls out till only my head is in her mouth and she begins to run her tongue around the crevice between the head and the shaft. She finds an incredibly sensitive spot and I buck without meaning.

"Sorry!" I exclaim, but all she does is smile, as much as one can manage to grin with a dick in their mouth. While she goes to town on me her emerald eyes meet mine and it is then that I start to lose my cool and feel myself coming undone.

"Oh, you are so hot!" I moan and she is. She is every fantasy I've ever had wrapped into one. She's smart and funny and apparently not appalled by oral sex. Her tongue is encircling me over and over again while her hands slide my flesh back and forth and back and forth. Much more of this and I am going to be past the point of no return.

"Maaakkkaaa," I manage to croak out. "I'm gonna. You should stop or let me…"

She makes no move to release me but begins to do everything with increased vigor. Oh, Death! I am going to cum like I have never cum before. I'm starting to feel it and I buck forward grunting in the most primal of manners. At any moment I expect her to let go of me, to release me from the long hot kiss she has engulfed me in yet her body continues to move with the rhythm of mine. Perfectly in sync, she refuses to let up or let go of me. I want to view this moment, but I can't because when it hits me, my head tips back and my entire body arches so that my cock is higher than anything else and still she is holding it, licking it, sucking it in as I draw back one last time and then like the wild recoil of a shotgun plunge further into her mouth spurting my juice into her.

Jolts of energy course through my body as I begin to relax, but she is still making love to me, softly kissing me until I am settled down and comfortable and only then does she release me, bringing her face to mine.

"Are you ok?"

I nod. I'm better than OK. I'm fucking fabulous. That was the most amazing orgasm of my life. I didn't know that _anything_ could feel that good. I want to make sure she's alright, but I don't have words yet. I only have use of my eyes which are taking her in, seeing how her lips are shiny from bodily fluids and how her eyes are sparkling with the knowledge that she can make me feel good.

Instead of talking, I lazily wrap an arm around her and pull her toward me to snuggle, kissing the top of her head. Her breath contains the faintest hints of my aroma and I can't imagine anything hotter.

We lay there for a while before she scolds herself. "Shinigami, we had better get some stuff done."

I nod, but I don't let her escape my arms before I give her one more long, passionate kiss.

"I'm gonna go take a shower," she says.

I nod. I don't think I have the strength to stand up yet and I tell her so. She grins sheepishly and runs off before I can see her blush. She's so silly. One moment a sex kitten, the next the sweet bookworm I've known for what feels like forever, blushing at the mere thought that a boy might desire her. That's my girl.

Mentally, I add "Giving Head" to the mental list I keep of my meister's abilities, but this one will be our little secret. I can only imagine the horror on Professor Stein's face were I to write it down on the evaluations Maka and I have to do on each other twice a year. "Maka Albarn, Soul Detection, Mastered-3 star, Survival Skills, Intermediate- 2 star, Fallatio, Proficient- 4 stars." I grin.

Oh, Maka, you're the coolest person I know.


	24. Chapter 24: Bad Liars

**Risenfromash: ** While on a hike with friends I realized that scat is animal poop and not regurgitated food…so the name of one of the Avian Flu's attacks makes no sense. Sigh…oops! I think I may need to change it to Pellet Pummel…but pellet just isn't as exciting sounding.

**Chapter 24: Bad Liars; All My Bags are Packed?**

Finally, I regain functioning of my physical form and pull myself up, dust myself off, put everything back in my pants that normally resides there, and start packing. We have a shit-ton of stuff to get done, but it takes us a lot less time than it used to. When we first started going out on these overnight assignments we would take a ton of crap with us we didn't end up using, but now we are more confident and know that as long as we have our essentials we'll do ok.

Maka emerges from her room with her backpack and sets it by the door where we pile up our supplies as we ready ourselves for going on assignment. I walk over with a pile of rations and lift her bag.

"Un-uh," I say sensing it is heavy. "We've gone over this. Three paperbacks or one hardback. No more."

Maka pops her head out from her room and replies, "Yup, that's what I did, exactly."

She's such a bad liar. She's not making eye contact. If we are ever in a pinch and need to lie, it better not be her doing it or our goose will be cooked.

"No, you didn't. I can tell. You want me to open it up and check or you gonna fix it?"

She knows better. She knows our rules.

I hear an exasperated sigh as she comes running out of her bedroom. "But, Soul, it's a _series_! And what if I finish one and don't have the next? I'll be dying-"

I shake my head. I am unsympathetic to her plight. Were it not for this she would have us lugging around the entire Library of Congress. "Should have bought 'em in paperback."

She makes a pouty face. "But, Soul…" She's trying to get me to give in, but I'm really a heartless bastard. She just doesn't realize that for some reason.

"Nope, you're breaking our rule. Meister Maka Albarn, what are _your_ essentials?"

She rattles off a list that includes what Professor Stein would agree are essentials, plus a bar of her favorite soup, one hardback _or_ three paperback books, her special reading lamp thing, and three pairs of slipper socks.

My "special" essentials are my music player and headphones, extra heavy duty sunscreen cause I burn like a mo'fo', and chocolate which I dowel out to my meister as a treat whenever I notice her starting to get bitchy.

I have to admit this must be a really good book series because normally she doesn't put up such a fight. I walk over and put my hands around her waist and pull her close to me. "How 'bout you save them for when we're back and pick something else then. Because I don't think we're gonna have much down time anyway."

"I know, but we have that long train ride."

I lean in to her ear and, in the best attempt at a seductive voice I can muster, whisper, "Besides Maka, I'm going to be keeping you busy." Then I follow up by slowly and sensually kissing her under her ear. She lets out a little embarrassed "eep" grabs her backpack and runs back into her room.

I laugh. This is going to be so much fun! We've got an evil doer to thwart, ground to cover, and I finally have the green light to do all the things I have been dreaming about!

_Knock, knock._ Somebody's at the door. "'Ello," I say swinging the door open widely.

"Hey, Marie." She's never been to our place before.

"Hi, Soul!" She says warmly. "Since you and Maka left the meeting early you didn't get your briefing packet. So I brought it over."

"Oh, sweet. Thanks for saving us the trip." I take the manila envelope from her hands expecting her to immediately depart, but she continues to stand in the doorway. I guess she must have more to say or something. I try not to appear annoyed about this even though I am. I'm exhausted and I'm _busy_. I have a meister trying to sneak more than her allotted number of books in her bag and I can't figure out where the fuck she stuck our other box of rations. I've checked the kitchen cupboards and the shelf above the washer…

"You want a cup of tea or something?" I ask trying to be polite, even though I'm hoping she will decline.

"Oh, that'd be wonderful!" Marie bustles in and seats herself on our sofa while I turn the kettle on. "You sure you're gonna be ok on this mission? I don't want you guys to get hurt."

"Aw! We're not little kids anymore. Besides, Maka and I have taken on way worse than Falconer. What's your assignment?"

"I'm in charge of advising the threesome that will be investigating why Avian Flu was trying to infiltrate the library. That's the group Tsubaki is in. She and Hiro will be working with Ox."

"They think Hiro is actually going to be able to help? Do they expect him to make that quick a recovery?"

"Well, _no_, but Frank feels that it would be good for him to continue to exercise his mind. Keep him focused on recovery and not self-pity. The _poor, poor_ thing. I can't stand seeing him all alone so every time I go in there I snuggle up real close and hold him. He likes it."

I bet he does. The little perv! I'm sure he loves resting his head on Marie's built in pillows. I'll have to give him shit about it next time I visit him when the girls aren't around. Bet you anything he's gonna milk this for a while even if he does regain use of his legs.

I bring Marie a cup of tea, still puzzled as to why she is hanging out when we all have more important stuff we should be doing.

"Where's Maka?" Marie asks.

"In her room finishing packing," then in a loud voice that Maka is clear to hear I continue, "Her partner is making her redo it because she was not complying with DWMA standards."

"Like hell I wasn't!" she says marching out of her room hugging her backpack to her chest.

Maka greets Marie while she thrusts her bag into me. I take it and test its weight by dangling it.

"Much better. Thank you, meister," and I set it on the heap by the door.

"I just stopped by to drop off your mission packet," Marie tells Maka. "And I wanted to ask…is it true you can see souls even before they're born?"

"Yup," says Maka a huge grin on her face. "You want me to guess how far along you are?"

Fucking Shinigami! Marie is pregnant, too! I'm getting out of here before they start talking about breast feeding or something. I stomp into the kitchen and make a big show of opening every cupboard a second time in the search for the missing rations, but both women are ignoring me completely. Oh, sure have your little female chat, not like there's anything to get done before we have to get up at four in the morning to get on the bike before catching a train…

Maka runs over and sits next to Marie. "I sense a soul conceived in love…and…social…or…curious…maybe? It might be a meister. I can already sense that it is trying to reach out to other souls."

"Really?" Marie squeals. "Oh, I'm so happy, but Frank certainly isn't. He's been such a grump ever since I told him. You know what he said to me? He said, "I suppose this means we're in a relationship now." I mean what am I supposed to think about that? You don't think he still has some deep seeded desire for Medusa do you? I'd hate to think that the only reason he's not with her is because she's a witch. You know what I mean?"

Marie asks many questions but gives my meister little or no time to respond.

"And on top of all that he got all grouchy and refused to let me go on his mission with him. He's taking your dad instead which I think is completely wrong because I'm doing _just fine_, but you know Frank he doesn't listen to anyone."

"Oh, you know the Professor he isn't very good at saying what he's feeling. He's probably just freaking out."

"I think he's worried I'm going to want him to get married and he doesn't believe in it. Frank has all kinds of untraditional ideas and sometimes I don't know what to make of them. I guess I'm just a simpleton because all I've ever really wanted was to fall in love and have a family."

"Well, I'm really happy for you and I'm sure Professor Stein will come around."

Marie chats with Maka a little while longer and then apologizes for keeping her and takes off.

As soon as she's gone I turn to Maka. "What the fuck? She's having a baby, too?"

Maka shrugs, but she looks absolutely delighted. "Must be something in the water."

I point at her. "I don't know what the fuck that means, but whatever you do don't drink it. I'm not having my meister grounded because of something as stupid as having a baby."

Maka laughs. "Soul, don't you want to have kids someday?" This is a type of question that up until even a couple days ago I could have answered truthfully without fear of the repercussions, but now that Maka and I are officially an item this is a loaded question.

"Uh…I really don't know…" I admit. "I take it you want them." This is a heavier conversation then I want to have eighteen hours into our relationship.

She shrugs. "I don't know, but I think Professor Stein is going to be such a great dad! Don't you?"

"If he doesn't dissect it."

She whacks me on the arm. "Why do you always have to see the bad in everything?"

"'Cause it's funny."

Maka and I continue in our preparations and she shows me that the extra ratios where on the bookshelf next to our textbooks from last year. I don't know _why_ I didn't think to look there, silly me. And finally we are done. Our bags are packed, we've reviewed our packet from Lord Death, and we are ready to depart before the sun is up tomorrow.

I'm heading out of the bathroom and just about to say goodnight to Maka when I hear a pounding at the door.

"What the fuck? When did this become Grand Central Station?" Shouting at the door I say, "We don't want any! Go away!"

"It's Black*Star!" My friend shouts back with his usual level of intensity.

I groan. What now? "Come on in. It's open."

Black*Star jumps over our pile of supplies and says, "So, you hear who they partnered Tsubaki up with?"

"Yeah, Hiro and Ox . Marie called it a '_threesome_'." We both snicker. Marie is so innocent. It's hard to believe she's even had sex. I can't believe Professor Stein goes for her type. She's so…domesticated.

"Yeah, well I know Ox says he's really into Kim, but what else do you know about him? I know you investigate all the guys at school to know who you can trust Maka with-"

I wave my hands wildly and mouth the words, "Shut the fuck up!" to him but he continues.

"Maybe I should paralyze him from the waist down, too, just to be on the safe side." I fear he is seriously contemplating it so I try to reassure him.

"Dude, I know you're nervous, but Tsubaki will be fine."

"I'm not so sure. Last time Black*Star let her out of his sight she came home with a bun in the oven."

I sigh. I am tired of his drama and babies and bombs and meetings without chairs. I want to go the fuck to bed and fucking _sleep_. "Don't you have something you need to be doing?" I ask him. "Like sleeping? Packing? Or getting Harvar's opinion on all this?"

"Naw. I'm fine," he says making himself comfortable on our couch. Great, he's not taking the hint.

"Maka," he shouts from the couch. "Can you get me a soda?"

Maka appears from her room in her nightgown and glares at me. It's a warning to me that if Black*Star doesn't quit being…the way that he is…that she might smack him over the head with a book. She is _also_ exhausted and ready to settle in for the night.

"How 'bout you take that soda for the road? Maka and I have gotta get to bed. We have a train we have to catch early."

Black*Star frowns. "I wish I was coming with you guys."

That feeling is _not_ mutual. I'm so glad that Maka and I are flying solo for this mission that it's not even funny.

I grab a can of soda from the fridge and smack it into the palm of his hand and try to shove him toward the door.

"You trying to get rid of me?" he asks.

"You're just _now_ figuring that out? Yes, Black*Star! I need to get some sleep and Maka does, too."

"Oh, alright. But if you hear anything scary about Ox you'll let me know right? Oh, and you know what else, that Kyo asshole skipped town. I asked around. Little fucker!"

"I'm sure he was terrified that you would kill him," I say placating him.

"You think so? I hope so! I hope that once he realized it was Black*Star's woman he was messing around with that he trembled in fear." He pauses. "Good luck. Don't do anything I wouldn't do."

"Yeah, you, too, man."

And with great relief I shut the door and lock it. _I am dead tired._

I walk to Maka's doorway to say goodnight. "I'm gonna turn in. Ya need anything?"

"Nope. I think I'm good."

"Ok. Night. Love ya." I say and give her a kiss on the forehead before heading to my room and climbing into bed.

I hear a tapping at my door and with great resistance I drowsily come to. Oh, fucking god, it's not morning already is it?

"Soul?" I hear Maka's voice outside my door. I grab my alarm clock and struggle to get my brain cells to interpret the time from the placement of the hands on the clock face. Thankfully, it is not morning. I must have been out for about an hour so I still have plenty of time to get more rest.

"Yeah, what is it?" I ask.

"Can I come in?"

"Sure." I sit up in bed. "Somethin' wrong, Maka?"

It's dark so I can't make out her features just her silhouette in the doorway.

"I was just wondering if it would be OK if I sleep with you in your bed tonight?"

I smile. She has chosen her words carefully to let me know this is not a sexual thing and even though it meant waking me up to ask she didn't just barge in and hop in bed with me because our rooms are our personal sanctuaries. We've slept together plenty of times: on the couch, while on missions, one time at Kid's place when we were all stayed the night, but we've never snuggled with one another in our beds. That was sort of off limits until now. Maybe it would be a good idea to keep our rooms personal retreats for ourselves, but I much rather have her in my arms than preserve my man cave.

I lift the blankets to welcome her into my bed. "Whatcha asking for?"

She slides under the blanket and I wrap my arms around her and spoon up next to her happy to have her company.

"Goodnight, Soul."

"Night, Maka."

And I am immediately dead to the world.


	25. Chapter 25: Befpre the Sun Rises

_**Chapter 25: Before the Sun Rises; Does Soul Have What it Takes?**_

My alarm clock starts doing its obnoxious little dance across my nightstand. I reach over to silence its daily seizure and whack Maka in the face in the process.

"Oh, God! I'm sorry! I forgot you were here…I mean I'm not used to-" Super suave, Soul.

Maka mumbles something and rolls over pulling the cover up over her head. Someone is not wanting to get up this morning. I beam. Maka is in my _bed_. I _like_ this. My whole body feels warm and alive and all I have to do to get hopelessly turned on is look at that lump of blankets with the knowledge that under there is my sexy meister attempting to catch a few more minutes of shuteye before we hit the road. It's funny how just thinking about it makes me high. Shinigami, I am so in love. It's almost embarrassing to be this excited. I'm never this excited about anything. Soul, get a handle on yourself remember you gotta stay cool, but I look around. There's no one here but me and my unconscious meister in my bed. My bed! I do a little pseudo-moon walk across the room because no one can see me so I can actually dance.

I'll let Maka sleep a little longer and then after my shower I'll come wake her up with a kiss. On the past, she's accused me of not having a romantic bone in my body. I'll show her!

Opening my bedroom door to head to the bathroom I almost trip on Blair in her four legged form as I strut out of my room. She's sitting _right_ outside my bedroom door swishing her tail back and forth.

"Well, well," she says flying into my room as though she's a lioness trying to take down a gazelle. She hops on the bed, sticks her front paws under the blanket and begins kneading my meister.

"So, how is _he_, Maka? I've wondered, you know? I mean, does albinism change anything down there? Come on! Spill! I want details. Size, length, positions!" So much for my plan of letting my meister get a few more minutes of rest.

"For Death's Sake, Blair, leave Maka alone. She's tired."

Blair smiles evilly and stretches her back with the flexibility only a feline can. "I bet she is. Were you a naughty boy and wore her out?"

Blair runs over to me changes into her human form, naked, of course and continues, "Cause I'm ready to start my turn any time." She bats her eyes at me and I groan. This is not funny. I don't have the time or energy to deal with her teasing.

"_Nothing_ happened, Blair." Maka mumbles as she rolls onto her back, her head emerging from beneath the covers.

"Ohhhh….poor, Soul. How disappointing for the both of you!" Blair coos at me knowing full well what Maka meant. "You know I heard about this herbal remedy that-"

Oh, great. That's all I need, Blair playing nurse to my nonexistence impotence. I decide to let Maka deal with our friend's warped sense of humor and I head into the bathroom cursing the day we welcomed that fur ball into our home.

When I come out of the shower I find that Maka has made a kettle of tea and Blair is back in cat form seated in the exact middle of our dining table.

I grab my cup of tea and bark at her to get off the table as Maka grabs a towel and heads into the bathroom. "That's gross, Blair. I don't go stick my bare ass where you eat your dinner."

Blair doesn't even pretend to listen to me. "So, are you and Maka boyfriend and girlfriend, now?"

I take an especially long sip of tea while I consider how best to answer this question. We had said that if we got asked point blank we wouldn't deny it, but neither of us really want people to know yet. It seems like people expect couples to act a certain way and if we're just meister and weapon we can do what we want without the constant scrutiny of the school newspaper's gossip writer, Maka's Dad, and Lord Death who seems overly involved with our love life.

"I don't think we like to use that terminology," I say.

"You aren't trying some stupid friends with benefits thing are you? Because that sort of arrangement would never work with you two."

"We're exclusive if that's what you're wondering. Which means you can stop pretending to come on to me."

"About time! I was beginning to wonder if those rumors about you and Kid were true."

I roll my eyes. "For the last time, it was a _dare_! For Shinigami's sake, there is nothing weird about two straight guys kissing when you're playing Truth or Dare. Everybody does stupid shit when they play that game." I will kill Patti. It's been _two fucking years_ and I still occasionally overhear people refer to me as Death the Kid's boyfriend. I swear some people read too much yaoi.

"You sure Kid is straight?" Blair asks.

"I dunno. I've never bothered to ask, because unlike you I'm not nosey about what people do in their bedrooms."

Blair swishes her tail and saunters across the table toward me. "I'm far less interested in what people do in their _bedrooms_ than what they do in dark alleys, on top of washing machines, or in _janitorial closets_."

"_Fuck_, how do _you_ know about that?"

"I hear things."

"Well, Maka and I would really appreciate it if you keep this to yourself. We'd like our privacy. You know how the kids at school get about things."

"Or how your future father-in-law gets."

I don't say anything. I know she's testing me. If I jump too quickly to say that we're not getting married just dating or messin' around she may assume I'm using Maka…

After a sizable pause, she continues. "Oh, I see. You _do_ like her an awful lot don't you?"

"_Duh_. You know how I feel about her."

Her oblong pupils stare at mine. "I thought I did. Till about a week ago when you broke her heart. You _ever_ hurt her like that again and I will cast a spell on you so terrible and cruel you'll wish you weren't born."

Even though Blair is threatening me I find it comforting to know that Maka has other people watching out for her. "Fair enough, but you don't need to worry. I won't be leaving again. I made a mistake."

"I'd like to believe you, Soul. I really would, but relationships are hard. Things can get very complicated."

"Is that why you reject any form of commitment and amuse yourself sleeping with sluts and causing nosebleeds in teenage boys?"

Her head tips down and she suddenly starts grooming one of her paws. "Yes." She actually sounds sad. God, I didn't mean to hurt her feelings. I thought we were bickering like usual.

"Blair, I'm sorry," I rush to apologize. "I didn't mean anything by it. I swear, I was just joking around. I'm a dick. You know that."

She laughs, but it sounds hollow. "No, you aren't sweetie. That's just a stupid persona you put on so people don't think you give a shit when you do."

I contemplate this. If it is a façade, it's a subconscious thing.

She sighs. "You've got me pegged. You're actually very observant about people." She pauses, her gaze focused somewhere past me with the intensity only a cat can achieve. "Sometimes, I get so jealous of what you two have."

I set down my coffee cup and walk over to pet her behind her ears. "Blair, I know we give each other a lot of shit, but I hope you don't think I actually feel that way. You've got nothing to be ashamed of... and it's not my business to judge, anyway. Honestly, if I hadn't fallen for Maka I'd probably be doing the same thing…except not with teenage boys." I need to quit talking before this somehow fuels the rumors.

She transforms into human form and I give her a hug. She gives me a peck on the cheek. "I gotta get going. I'm meeting some hot toms over at the market. Be safe, kay?" She cautions me with a wink and I suspect she isn't meaning only with the mission.

After Maka finishes getting dressed we move quickly to get over to the motorcycle shop. The bar isn't normally open this early which is only a few hours after last call, but when we get there and knock at the door we find it immediately opened by the bartender we met yesterday.

"Well, hello lovely Miss Meister…and weapon. Come around back we got your Brunhilde back there."

Behind the bar is a garage with an accumulation of motorcycle carcasses that must have taken decades to accumulate. Metal blares out of the stereo and the walls are covered with posters of bikes and scantily clad chicks draped over motorcycles or running on beaches.

I notice the bartender appears to be wearing the same shirt as yesterday. I suspect he has not gone to bed yet. A couple other men and one woman clad in skin tight black leather are also in the garage though what exactly they are doing is unclear to me.

"Here she is. She ain't pretty, but she'll get you to the train station and beyond." Brunnie has a 'new' rear wheel and despite the fact that it's been salvaged from a totaled bike it's still in better shape than any of the rest of her. I walk up and run my hands over her. Instead of the smooth feel of steel she is rough from damage, but she still feels good to me. The bikers have taken some black duct tape with Death masks and used it to tape up the tear in the seat cushion.

"Nice," I say under my breath more to Brunnie than to anyone else in the garage.

"Thanks," Maka and I say in unison as though we'd planned it that way.

The bartender shakes his head. "You're an interesting pair. You been out on extended assignments before?"

Maka nods, "We've been to Eastern Europe and Italy and all over the place locally. We almost got sent to Africa once, but at the last minute they ended up sending a Death Scythe from Australia."

"I see." I wonder what he's contemplating. Then again maybe I don't want to know.

"Well, here you go," he hands a large paper sack to her. "We made you a special lunch."

"Oh, thank you so much! This really helps me and Soul out."

"Anytime!" He says as I follow Maka out of the garage door with Brunnie. The bartender leans into me and growls in a low whisper, "I hope you take better care of your partner than you do your bike, kid."

I smile. "It was a tough choice, but yesterday I chose her over the bike."

He chuckles. "That would be a tough choice." He pats me on the shoulder and stares deep into my eyes, "Take care of your girls."

Never before have I felt so much pressure to take care of Maka. It's weird because it's been my job for a long time. From day one as her weapon partner I've said I'd die if it meant keeping her safe and I've meant it, but something feels different now. Maybe it's psychological, maybe I feel even more responsible now that we've admitted our feelings or maybe it's residual guilt from the poor decisions I've made in the past, but whatever it is I'm feeling more stressed than I usually do prior to leaving town.

We ride to our apartment and Maka starts carrying our gear and equipment out of the apartment while I bungee cord it to Brunnie. Strapping stuff down is my job because the one time Maka did it we lost a bag that had half of our food and we both got really cranky from hunger, so henceforth she hauls the stuff to the bike and inventories to make sure nothing is forgotten and I figure out how to get it all secured to Brunnie.

"We got everything?" I ask after I think she's brought the last load.

She shakes her head.

"Great," I grumble sarcastically. "What's missing this time?"

She grins from ear to ear and pulls from behind her back my damn canteen. "You left it in the kitchen."

"Are you serious? I swear I put it in my backpack." I seriously can visualize myself doing it…or maybe that was yesterday after I got it…

"Nope, looks like you were in the process of filling it and got distracted. Maybe it was when Black*Star stopped by."

"Yes, let's blame him. It makes me feel better about myself," I joke wrapping my hands around her waist. "We ready?"

"Not yet," she says then presses her soft lips into mine. A wave of heat rises from my chest and everything else melts away. It's just the two of us and nothing else matters. I savoir this, wishing there was some way to preserve this moment, because something about Blair's words have scared me. Relationships _are_ hard and I'm an idiot. What kind of a chance do we have of making this work?

We reluctantly part our lips and I stand there staring into those beautiful green eyes of hers.

"Soul, why are you nervous?" she asks me and I don't know what to say.

"Do I seem nervous?"

"Yeah. Is it something to do with me or with us?" Now she sounds scared.

"No, course not. I'm just worried about Brunnie holding up. I don't know how much more she can take."

"It'll be ok," she assures me. "Soul, remember we're a team. It's not all on you."

The corner of my mouth turns up in a half-smile. "Thanks, Maka."

"No, problem!" She says hopping on the back of the bike eager to get going.

As I climb on the bike I tell her, "What I mean is…thanks for taking me back, Maka."

"Oh, Soul! I'll always take you back," she replies resting her head on my shoulder for a moment before she settles back into her usual resting spot with her hands on my waist. "I _do_ reserve the right to give you hell first, however."

"I'll keep that in mind, Crazy."

I give Brunhilde a little gas and am relieved to hear the familiar purr of the engine.

Maka raises her fist into the air and shouts, "Falconer, you bastard, here we come!" and with a rev of the engine we gun it out of DC.


	26. Chapter 26: Missions & Make Out Sessions

**Risenfromash: **After feeling like I was having a hard time bringing a bunch of my plot points together for this story I had a breakthrough this week and am delighted with the result. For being patient with the story you've all earned yourself some citrus and a demon soul, but not Soul cause he's Maka's. I've made sure of that

_**Chapter 26: Missions and Make out Sessions; Misshapen forms?**_

After we've left Death City behind us I set us on a path that should intersect with the NevaOrCali Railroad line that serves most of California, Nevada, and Southern Oregon. Maka suggests that we review what we know about Falconer and I agree. I was so tired by the time we got to delving into our packet from Lord Death that I'm not confident I retained much of what we learned.

"Sounds good." I try to organize my thoughts. "Well we know what he looks like."

"Right, over six foot, long hook-like nose, huge bird tattooed on his back so that the wings spread out over his shoulders."

"Possibly red hair."

"Or brown. There's differing reports."

"We also know he's a bit of a chicken shit or doesn't mind using his underlings as pawns, because we don't think he was present in Death City at the time of the attack."

"Unless he was well hidden or disguised," Maka adds.

"We don't know if he can fly, do we?"

"No, there are unconfirmed reports of him bragging about flight abilities, but he could be bluffing and we don't believe he has the ability to use the egg bombs that were dropped on DC."

"I didn't see any abilities or skill set included in the packet. Do we not have any clue about his attack style?"

"I guess not. It makes me nervous."

I laugh, "Don't worry, Maka. You know we're good at making things up as we go along."

I can't see her reaction because she's behind me and I need to keep my eyes on the seemingly unending expanse of desert in front of us, but I sense that she is nodding in agreement.

"The plan at this point is for us to enter California and head toward the redwoods where it is believed he has a hideout. It may be kept hidden by magical means similar to a Soul Protect but to obscure the detection of objects or locations. Falconer himself is not able to cast Soul Protect so I may be able to detect him even if we are unable to find his hideout."

"Sounds good. Anything else?"

"Not much…other than that we need to check in with Lord Death for our daily debrief every day at thirteen hundred hours."

"Maka…can I tell you something?"

"Sure. Anything."

I hesitate for a moment. Maybe it's silly…maybe it's better to keep my mouth shut, but it's just her and I here..."Maka, I love you."

She says nothing, but it doesn't make me insecure that she doesn't parrot the sentiment back to me. She is mission-focused right now and that's the way it should be. Instead, she squeezes me a little tighter and gives me a kiss on the back of my neck and that's more than enough to make me happy.

It takes us over an hour to get to the train depot, but once we get there we discover that our train has been delayed so we've got a couple hours to kill. Maka finds a spot on the floor to cozy up with her book while I turn Brunnie over to the train's stewards. She's in such atrocious shape they make me sign a waiver acknowledging that she was damaged prior to her being handed over to them. I grumble about it, but I sign it, give my baby a little pat on her duct taped seat cushion and find where Maka has parked herself with her one hardback book. When I walk up she doesn't take her eyes off her book but lifts it so that I can lie down, resting my head in her lap and take a nap. I put on my headphones and watch her reading for a while wondering what great adventure she is mentally on while her body is here in the train station. I can watch her eyes moving from word to word a world away from the present moment undoubtedly experiencing great adventures.

Maka taps me. I lower my headphones. I must have fallen asleep for a while.

"That's our train," she says pointing to a locomotive headed into the station. "We'll be boarding soon."

I head to the men's room and purchase a bagel for myself and then join her in the line waiting to board. She grabs my hand, "Is it weird that I'm really excited?"

"No. It's always fun to get out of DC," I say taking an enormous bite out of my bagel. Though I wonder what has her more excited, hunting down Avian Flu members or the chance for the two of us to get to be alone for a while away from the prying eyes of our friends and her dad. I'd ask her but I don't want her to feel like I have expectations or something. I don't really want this to be different than the other assignments we've been on by ourselves, but it is exciting knowing that I no longer have to feign indifference to her sexiness.

"I say if we find Falconer and finish him off quickly we take a couple extra days-"

"Soul, you know we can't do that. There is still a lot that will need to be done."

I grumble and take a big ole bite of bagel out of irritation. "Yeah, I know, but **we** don haf to do everthin'"

"Soul, don't talk with your mouth full."

I swallow the rubbery bread and scold her, "Then don't start an argument when I'm eating."

She rolls her eyes. "And here I worried that us…" she searched for a word "doing stuff might cause things to change between us."

I grin- bagel bits stuck between my teeth. "Nope, nothing you do will get me to behave myself and follow the rules" and I whack her on the ass.

She turns beat red and glares at me and I smirk evilly because I may have embarrassed her, but I didn't get hit in the head with a book which means that on some level she liked it. I set a goal to figure out on what level she liked it. Is it subconscious or does she know she likes it and she just doesn't want to admit it or will I have her begging for it soon enough? The possibilities are endless.

The train ride is pleasantly uneventful. Maka takes a nap for awhile and I study a map of Northern California to get an idea of where we might want to go to start our bird hunt. By the time we arrive at our destination it's nearly noon and my stomach is rumbling like crazy.

I convince Maka that before we do anything else we should stop and eat lunch and she must be hungry, too, because she doesn't argue. After claiming Brunnie we head to a park on the outskirts of town for a picnic. The park is a large sprawling lawn cluttered with maple and oak trees that are in the process of losing their leaves and the sturdy fir trees with branches low to the ground that I used to use as forts when I was a kid. I throw down a blanket as ground cover and Maka grabs the paper sack that the bartender gave us. Its contents will be a surprise to both of us because she wants it to be and has swatted my hand every time I've tried to peek.

She peers into the top of the bag and exclaims, "Oh, this looks so good!"

She pulls out a sandwich on hoagie bread that is overstuffed with veggies and meat and cheese.

"Give me your cheese," I say needlessly as that's what we always do when she gets served cheese and I love the arrangement because it means I always get double cheese on sandwiches and burgers.

She nods and sets to work pulling it off and I reach into the bag to pull out my sandwich and instead pull out a bunch of grapes. Grapes are good. I set them aside and stick my hand in again and come out with a baggie of crackers. Ok, that's fine. I try again and get a small jug of juice. I fold down the top of the bag and look in. Where the hell is my sandwich? At the very bottom I find a peanut butter and jelly sandwich which has been crushed under everything else. And here I thought me and that guy were starting to bond.

Maka happily takes a bite of her sandwich moaning with appreciation of her lunch, but stops chewing when she sees the pathetic excuse for a lunch in my hand.

"Is that your sandwich?" she asks and starts laughing hysterically spitting part of a tomato out in the process. Aw, my meister can be so dignified at times.

"It's not funny. That guy's a total dick!"

"Soul, you can have some of mine. I won't be able to eat it all."

"No, you just enjoy what lover boy made you and I'll sit here and eat this." I stubbornly take a bite of the smooshed sandwich. "Yuck, raspberry jelly! Gross!" I toss the sandwich out of my hand and reach over to grab hers.

Maka laughs harder. "Oh, wait is this what you want?" She waves her sandwich enticingly near my nose. "Because on second thought I think I'm going to eat the whole thing because I need all the calories. Being a meister is such hard work and this adorable guy made it for me. He's so hot I might just dump my boyfriend and date him!"

"Give me that!" I say ripping the hoagie out of her hand and taking an enormous bite before she can steal it back.

"I swear I didn't tell him you hated raspberry." She's giggling at me. She has some guy we barely know making a play for her by making…and I am not exaggerating here the BEST sandwich on the planet for her and she is laughing like it's just hilarious. I would remind her that she already has a boyfriend and that he doesn't find any of this at all funny, but I'm mowing down on sandwich.

"You think you're so damn funny don't you?" I complain.

"I do, because he was just one of those macho guys who likes meisters. He wasn't into me, Soul. He only took to me because I'm a meister."

"You wouldn't have a clue if someone was hitting on you," I say totally seriously.

"How would you know?"

"Because I hit on you for years!"

"I noticed," she says smiling.

"Well, _I_ couldn't tell."

She gets very giggly and lies back cradling her belly. "I'm stuffed. You can have the rest."

I take a couple more bites, but I'm finding her very distracting. She's laying there with her legs bent at the knee in that super flexible way she does where she can somehow manage to lay flat on her back with a leg out to either side. She's gotta be double jointed somewhere down there…

My mind is drifting, but its lunch time. We can afford a few minutes of goofing off before getting serious about finding Falconer. I flop down next to her.

"So, what do you think we should do after our meal settles?" I ask.

"I think we should head to the periphery of the park and I can see if I pick anything up."

"Sounds good. Have you tried yet?"

"Yeah, I did as soon as we got off the train." This doesn't surprise me at all. When we're on assignment she'll run Soul Detection scans of the surrounding area periodically without even mentioning it to me unless she finds something worth noting.

She rolls toward me. "Soul, why were you so nervous earlier?"

"I dunno, Maka."

"Yes, you do. You're just too embarrassed to tell me."

I gaze into her eyes. "Yeah, I guess."

Then to my great surprise she kisses me and this kiss is not some little peck. This is slow and deliberately sensual.

"Maka, darling, we're on assignment."

"Oh, you know you've been wanting to make out all day."

I nod. She's got me there, but I'm surprised she's willing.

"We can spare a few moments," my meister assures me with a twinkle in her eye and we lay there on the blanket in the shade of a big oak tree holding one another and kissing and saying absolutely nothing.

After a few minutes I find myself rolling her onto her back ever so slowly and subtly though I'm not on top of her…yet I'm off to one side with an arm stretched across her. I'm just starting to work my way down her neck when her little happy sighs turn into-"Demon!" she shouts and I jump to my feet.

"Where?" I look around. Unless it's got an invisibility cloak it isn't here.

She hops up and closes her eyes and extends her arm and like a dosing rod bobs around until she finds the correct direction. "That way. Maybe 250 yards or so? Maybe more. It's hard to tell. There's something odd about its soul wavelength…it feels like it lacks confidence."

"You gonna try to convince it to behave itself?" I tease her endlessly about her conversion of Crona, but she knows that I like the fact she is versatile enough to occasionally consider other possibilities besides the old fall back of busting heads. This adaptability is one of the ways my meister is so much better than Black*Star even though he's a lot stronger.

"No, it's definitely a demon…no saving this one…but…" she cocks her head a little to one side so that one of her ponytails brushes her face. "I'm curious what's wrong with it. Maybe it's been cursed or something. Come on, let's go check it out."

She takes off running in the direction she senses the presence and I chase behind her as fast as I can. Once out of the park we enter an industrial area. Everything here is monotone and in various stages of decay. It looks like at some point this must have been a manufacturing sector, but it has now been abandoned to dry rout and graffiti.

We approach a four way intersection and we both see a shadow scuttle across the street in front of us accompanied by a heckling laugh. The sound bounces off the buildings reminding me of one of those creepy baby dolls in horror movies.

Maka stands in front of me, hand held open behind her to signal that it's time for me to do my thing. I transform and find it weird to feel her hands out of her gloves. She took them off to eat her sandwich and hasn't put them back on. Fortunately, this doesn't throw her for as much of a loop as it does for me.

"Ok, Maka, take it slow till we get a good look at what this guy can do."

"Right." She runs another few steps leaping over a puddle of stagnant water and oil that looks like it's been there for years.

Whatever it is runs across the road and appears before us.

"Awww! What are you?" it asks with an air of impertinence, like we are stupid not to have explained ourselves from the get-go.

"I'm Maka Albarn, a Meister, and this is my Weapon Partner, Soul Eater, and we are going to take your soul."

The creature steps out of the shadow and for the first time we get a good look at it. It's short, really short…maybe three and a half feet tall with big eyes and misshapen arms. The right arm is stubby and appears to lack a functional joint while the other arm reaches almost to the ground and flops like a piece of cooked spaghetti. It's appallingly ugly and I can only imagine what Kid would do if he came face to face with its asymmetrical appendages.

The creature begins to spin like a top sending the spaghetti arm wobbling in the air like a windsock. "Spin Flare" it shouts in a very high pitched wail and little sparks start flying from its feet. Maka jumps over them as calmly and agilely as if she were jump roping and this appears to piss the demon off as it then shouts, "Rumble Rocket" and the ground starts shaking beneath us. Maka plants the end of my handle as firmly into the ground as she can but we both wobble nevertheless and she almost loses her balance.

"Do you like this game?" the demon asks.

"I don't think I know how to play this game. What's it called?" Maka asks.

"Kill the DWMA students!" It cackles and Maka advances on it swinging me into its flesh on the right side but the stubby arm gets in the way preventing her from getting a nice slice to the chest.

"Blender Blade!" Maka shouts and I rotate in her arms as fast as I'm able and I feel myself connect with various places on the demon's body.

Maka quickly retreats while using me to block some kind of attack the thing was trying, though I didn't hear it name the move.

"Princess Pound!" It shouts and the long flimsy arm forms a fist at the end and the demon swings it toward us like a flail.

"Maka, we gotta concentrate on that arm. If we can hack it off-"

"Got it!" Maka makes like she is going to leap to the right but instead crouches and swings me above her into the fatty base of the spaghetti arm. Blood spurts out onto us and the demon emits a scream that comes out more like a gurgle. With one more hack at its core the demon is done and its body evaporates leaving only a very warped looking red soul floating in front of us.

Maka walks up to it, collecting it in her hands.

"Why do you think it looked like that?" I ask her reappearing in human form. We've seen some pretty ugly bastards over the years, but this one was so malformed it was almost like it hadn't been human at any point in its history.

"I'm not sure. It definitely hasn't been melded with a bird, but something about its soul feels altered somehow."

"Do you need to save it?" Occasionally we keep stuff to take back to school to share with the Professor or Lord Death or to show off to other meister/weapon teams.

"No, I guess you can go ahead and eat it. I kind of feel sorry for it."

I nod. "Well, it's out of its misery now." I open my mouth wide, dangle the soul above me and drop it down my gullet. I'm met with the most bizarre mix of nasty flavors and textures I've ever experienced when soul eating.

I gag a little and Maka runs over to me and pats me on the back worrying that I might be choking, but I manage to swallow the thing.

"I won't be doing that again anytime soon."

"What was wrong with it?"

"The outside of it was rubbery, but the inside was acrid and raw." My face wears a look of revulsion. "I agree with you. There was definitely something weird about that one."

As we walk back to our picnic spot we are quiet as we try to put our finger on what was so wrong about that particular demon.


	27. Chapter 27: The Most Important Thing

_**Chapter 27: The Most Important Thing; Maka Goes Crazy?**_

"Maka, we better make camp before it gets too dark," I tell her in an attempt to pull her away from stopping to watch a chipmunk for what seems like the four-hundredth time. I mean, they're cute, but come on!

She sighs and hurries to catch up with me on the trail we have been hiking.

"So, do you want to camp in a designated camp spot and have a fire or go off trail tonight?"

She contemplates for a moment. "What do you think?"

I shrug. "I could go either way. If you want to sleep under the stars we can go anywhere."

"You think the dew's going to be heavy tonight?"

"I don't think it'll be too bad. We could lay the tarp across us."

We hike around and find a smaller footpath that leads to a spot over a river. There you can see the sky and the trees on the opposite side.

"Let's camp here!" she says enthusiastically. "It's an ideal place for me to detect souls and meditate."

We set up a little lean-to tarp over us and use a buddy burner to heat up some water for cocoa as it starts to get dark.

"You know I never realized that as a meister I'd get to do so much camping or that I'd love it so much." She says sipping her cocoa. "Mom and Dad never took me camping."

"I went with some of my brother's friends a couple times, but Mom and Grandma weren't into it either. They don't really see the point in having modern conveniences if you give them up sometimes just for the heck of it."

"Soul," she says slowly. "Do you ever get sad that you don't know who your father is?"

I shrug. "Sometimes; curious more than sad. I wish I knew if he was a Demon Weapon, too, or a Meister and if that's why Mom kept his identity a secret. If that's the reason I think that's pretty cool, but if it's just cause he was married to someone else I think that's a kind of lame reason for not letting Wes and I know him."

"So, your Grandma really has no idea who he was?"

"Nope. I've asked her a couple times thinking that now that I'm older and Mom's gone she might be willing to share more, but I guess the secret died with my mom."

"I'm sorry, Soul."

"Don't be. I could find out I have a dad who's as crappy as your dad."

She picks up a pine cone and throws it at me and a nearby bird flutters off.

After the lean-to is built we start getting serious about getting set up for bed and I pull out our sleep mats and sleeping bags and set to work doing something I've fantasized about doing for a very long time.

"Soul, what are you doing?" Maka asks noticing that I seem to be fussing with the sleeping bags for an abnormally long amount of time.

"I'm doing something Kid taught me. Voila!" I hold up my achievement, our two sleeping bags zipped together to form one doubled size sleeping bag.

"That's so cool! I didn't know they could do that!" Then she looks puzzled. "How come Kid knows that?"

"He says Liz and Patti like to sleep snuggled up together sometimes."

"Do you believe that?" she asks me.

"I don't know. I feel like he has this whole other life that's exotic and sexy, like James Bond, but we only get to see the "oh-my-god-did-I-forget-to-straighten-my-picture-frame" side. He's really private even with us guys."

She laughs and sits down on the sleeping bag and begins to take off her shoes and socks. I stand there oddly transfixed by her getting ready for bed. I walk over next to her and awkwardly stand there for a moment before she slides over and gives me space to sit down to do the same thing. She sighs with contentment as she slips her feet into her super soft slipper socks.

It's dark now so I have to strain my eyes, but I can see Maka changing clothes and I can't help it. I reach out for her and to my surprise she proceeds to take her bra off and let me wrap my arms around her cupping those tiny tits in my hand. Her nipples made hard by the chill in the air stand at attention and every time I brush my hand against them she makes a breathy moaning sound. But despite the heat of our lust I can tell she is cold because I feel little tiny bumps forming on her arms.

"Come on, get under the covers," I tell her. Wearing just her panties she slides into the sleeping bag as I unbuckle my belt and toss off my pants before joining her.

She reaches up under my shirt and pulls it off leaving the two of us together in one big cottony soft sack wearing nothing but our underwear.

I swear I've tried to be good, but this is too much. Immediately, I am on top of her pressing myself into her and grouping her chest with my hands marveling at how soft and smooth her skin is everywhere.

Her hair smells like vanilla and berries and her body has an aroma of sweat, but not the nasty boy's-locker-room kind of sweat. This sweat reeks of sex. It's I'm-so-sexy-because-I-can-take-down-demons-and-give-my-weapon-partner-a-blow-job-and-ace-a-test all in the same day sexy. _I like it._

She says nothing as I explore her chest with my tongue and lips, one of my hands moving on from her breasts to slide under her panties and grab her ass and squeeze it in such a way that she thrusts up against the part of me that can hardly contain itself.

I wonder how much she'll let me get away with. We _are_ on assignment, but she's so beautiful and it's been such a wonderful day and here under the stars it feels like this is what we're meant to be doing…not like back in Death City where everyone is quick to point out that we're all teenagers and don't know anything about life yet. Here it feels like we've figured it all out because all that matters is being together and sharing our crazy life with one another.

My lips are below her rib cage now and I gently drag my tongue up her body, licking her like a cat. An image of Blair pops into my head and I quickly shove that distraction away by grasping her nipple in my teeth and ever so gently nibbling at it.

She lets out a little gasp that could be one of pain or pleasure…I can't quite tell yet the breast moves closer to me pressing itself into my face. Oh, she wants more. I smile. She is _so_ incredibly hot. Because of the dark I can only see her in my mind's eye, but I can sense how attractive her face must look forming the sounds I hear as I play with her like some kind of musical instrument.

She is squirming under me, clearly in need of satisfaction. I bite my lip and then reach down between her legs. I slide my hand under the elastic of her panties half expecting her to slap my hand away or to be told I need to slow down, but instead her pelvis tips up to meet me and as I slide my fingers toward the entrance to her pussy I am shocked to feel how wet she is. She's not moist…she's dripping, practically gushing with liquid. Regardless of what society might think this is no longer a girl…this is a woman very much ready to receive a man. I slide a finger into the wetness and I feel soft, delicate flesh wrap around me. She moans and I think I hear the word, "Yes," whispered ever so softly and stretched out like a note held by a damper pedal on the piano.

I start moving my finger a little drawing delicate little circles inside her, ever so gently. She pulls back so my finger almost falls out before thrusting her pelvis toward me so my entire finger is inside her. She raises her body a little and whispers in my ear, "Soul, _more_ please." Never one to disappoint, I set to work rubbing inside her while inserting two more fingers to accompany my pointer on its quest to find places that make her thrash with pleasure or leak more of that precious liquid. I'm so concentrated on her that I'm startled when I feel her hand clutch my cock through my underwear. With my free hand I pull my underwear down so that I can feel her touch directly on my skin and as soon as I do I know that no matter what we do or don't do I will be cumming tonight. There is no ignoring the crazy need in my loins. Even if I have to run away to go screw a knothole in a tree I've got to feel release, being with her like this is too much, but, thankfully, it is a happy wild, crazy feeling not that dark, abusive way I felt in my dream of us in the red room. Knowing that I can actually mess around with her like this and have fun and not turn into some demon rapist is a great relief to me and makes me that much more eager to please her in every way she'll allow.

I pull my fingers from her and bring my hand past my face. It's a unique smell that I know I will forever associate with the throes of passion we are currently embracing. I lick my hand to sample her taste and finding it to my liking I clasp her panties on either side and pull them down in one swift but gentle movement before my head dives between her legs eager to kiss and lick every last inch of her and discover all those places I've never kissed before.

She lets out a little yell of shock when I descend, but I hear only silence when my tongue enters her crevice. I wonder for a moment if I'm doing something wrong until I hear a little hum and notice how with every move of my tongue the hands around my cock move in ways that create great pleasure for me and like some kind of unending spiral one of us does something that feels good to our partner and then the other does something that feels good in response until we are both moaning and groaning.

I have reverted to my most primal with my focus being entirely on her and the sensations I'm getting from her. Driven by her taste, her touch, her scent, and her moans my mind is myopic, focused only on a wild desire to make her experience the kind of gratification she has created for me. My tongue finds a little nub inside her and I lick it experimentally and she responds by letting out a shout. I massage it again with my tongue and she pants as her body thrashes with a wild abandon I have previously not seen. The sensations are so intense for her that her grasp on me loosens for a moment and then she involuntarily clamps down _hard_. I rub it more quickly flicking it back and forth with my tongue and her vocalization sounds like the exclamation when someone makes a great discovery, but it drags itself out growing into a moan punctuated by short little breathes. She thrashes and her voice is transformed into a tiny little strangulated cry, her hand lets go of me and she trembles like she's having some kind of epileptic fit and then growls out the words, "I love you, Soul." It is without a doubt the sexiest thing I have ever heard. I find myself wanting to cum so bad, but I won't stop licking her till I know she's reached the maximum she can take. I dive deeper with my tongue and lick at the nub like it is the most important thing ever.

Forget demon hunting, _this _will save the world and somehow I have been honored by being the man here to do it. Images of my meister dance in my mind along with the remembrance of all the desire I've harbored for her for so long and all I can think is I must make Maka satisfied. I want that more than anything for her _and_ for me and just when I wonder if it won't be possible her body suddenly jerks. She inhales deeply, her breath catching in her throat and she emits a scream that could only be created by carnal actions. As if the sound emanates from her pelvis rather than her lungs her body bends itself backwards to create a straight shot from her groin to her mouth causing her head to tip upside down as my tongue is met with a gush of liquid. The bellow continues as fluid pours into my mouth and she attempts to catch her breath with an intense set of pants.

Listening to her cum is more than I can take. I fall on my side releasing myself all over her and the sleeping bag.

She lays there with all four limbs splayed out, limp and panting like crazy, but in between the gasps I think I hear her say my name. I pull myself up to lay next to her and she rolls onto her side and pushes my hair out of my face and kisses me. Our foreheads press against each other and all I can think is how amazing she is, how much I love her, and how embarrassed I'm going to be when I see her face in the morning light.


	28. Chapter 28: Afterglow

Chapter 28: Afterglow; Shameful Sleep?

My eyes open and for a moment I'm disoriented. The light of morning is beginning to creep between the trees painting the world a hazy grey instead of midnight black. I smell cedar and the dampness of the forest and I sense Maka's soul close by me and then as though I've been shot by a bolt of lightning all the memories of the previous day hit me. The raspberry jelly, the creepy spaghetti-armed demon, and the sound, scent, and _taste_ of my meister's fulfillment.

I grin. Never in my wildest fantasies had I ever imagined messing around with her like that! God, she was _hot._ I can't believe we did that. I can't believe how…oh, I'm sure those vocab lessons had a word for this… _lascivious_ we were. Wow, she would be so proud; she's gonna make me sound like a book nerd yet.

I roll over and see her laying beside me facing me, but with only the top of her hair outside of the sleeping bag.

Yesterday was great. I loved all of it, but I have a bit of morning-after regret. Not about the things we did, but about my role as her protector. I've been asleep. _She and I have both been asleep at the same time._ That's not supposed to happen when you're on assignment. We're trained to take shifts so that someone remains on guard duty to prevent any kind of sneak attack from witches eager to take out Lord Death's forces. Maka and I know, but I let that awesome post-cumming glee overtake me and we both drifted off to sleep. I am ashamed that I let her down. It doesn't bother me to have deviated from standard operating procedure, but it eats at me that I put her in danger. The whole reason I'm here is to protect her. I'm the support person and sometimes that support comes in the form of muscle, sometimes it comes as a differing viewpoint, and sometimes it comes as me putting myself in harm's way before someone malevolent can reach her.

I partially unzip our sleeping bag vowing that I will not be returning to it but instead will assume the post that one of us should have been filling. It is chilly this morning and I wish I could dress inside the sleeping bag, but I don't think I'm talented enough to do that without disturbing Maka. I step out of the warmth of the blankets and mouth the words, "Fuckin' cold!" and pull on fresh clothes from my pack. The inside of the clothes are cold and I find myself longing for the warmth of my meister's body close to mine. I pull a hoodie on over my t-shirt and stuff my hands in the front pocket. I walk to the edge of the ledge over the creek and enjoy the view while contemplating what today may bring for my partner and me.

Right now we are no closer to finding Falconer than when we were in DC. All we've really managed to accomplish is taking out that one mysteriously misshapen demon in the industrial area. What was that about?

I find a dry spot at the base of one of the park's namesakes and start composing music in my head. Every note is for her; love songs for the girl still passed out from last night's passion. Love songs that won't be heard by her. I'm far too shy to serenade her with some crappy song I've written. That's not my style, though I have to admit that saying, "I love you" at random moments throughout the day was never something I thought I would do, either, and I've found myself doing that.

I want so badly for her to understand the depths of my devotion to her and I need her to know that my heart's a more fragile thing than I let on. She needs to be careful with me. I will never mistreat her the way her dad did her mother, but I need the same. The mere thought of being without her or seeing her with someone else is devastating to me. Yet, I fell asleep leaving her unguarded. That was super dumb, an amateurish mistake. What am I a newb?

I take a deep breath. I'm worrying again. That happens when I think too much. I try to refocus my thoughts on the moment and the beauty of the forest and the love I share with my partner.

"Good morning," Maka has rolled over and is looking at me from our makeshift bed.

"Mornin'" I answer feeling a wave of heat burning my face. I knew I'd blush when I next saw her in the light of day. It's one thing to be that carnal in the dark, but a completely different thing to have to face your best friend after making them have a screaming orgasm the night before. There's no doubt that she enjoyed herself, but that doesn't stop my cheeks from simmering.

"Come here," she instructs. She intentionally orders rather than asks knowing that right now I'm awfully self-conscious, but we both know I'm usually good about taking orders…or rather orders from _her_. I walk over to the head of the sleeping bag and stare down at my meister's smiling face. I'm not sure what she wants from me. She slithers out of bed and stands before me without a shred of clothing on. I avert my eyes out of habit.

"Soul, why are you doing that? Why aren't you looking at me?"

I don't know what to say. How do I explain that I badly want to see that body I have touched in the dark, but fear it'd be like gazing directly at the sun. It's a beauty I'm not meant to see. She takes my hand and brings it to her chest placing my palm over her heart.

"Soul, please don't be embarrassed. I love you and now my body is as much yours as your own. I'm yours _body_, mind, and soul."

Her declaration startles me making my eyes snap back to her and without meaning I take her in. She is gorgeous. It's like staring at a piece of art. I feel unworthy compared to her. She's captivating with curves and mounds and I'm a _dude_. It's pathetic.

"Soul, you're putting yourself down again. I can sense it. Why do you do that?"

I sigh. Sometimes we know each other a little too well. "I failed as your partner. I didn't take first watch."

"We lived. It's OK, Soul. You don't need to be perfect to be with me."

I grumble. It seems like I do. There's nothing she's bad at, not really.

"I fell asleep too, you know. Keeping watch is a duty we share. We let each other down, but it's done now. We'll be more careful next time."

I say nothing. I even ignore her comment about 'next time' which should entice me to flirt with her.

"What am I going to have to do to snap you out of this?" she grumbles rhetorically to herself. "Fine, I'm going to get dressed, but when I'm done you will _not_ be in this mood."

While Maka gets dressed I dig out granola bars to curb our hunger. A few moments later she skips back over to me wearing purple leggings under denim shorts and an orange hoodie that has a picture of a sunset on the back. She looks adorable.

"Maka, why do you love me?"

She smiles. "Because I do. That's all that's important."

I grunt. "That's not a real answer."

"It isn't?"

"No. It isn't."

She assumes the appearance of one considering a serious question. "Because from the moment I first saw you I was fascinated by you. You captivate me. I want to know everything about you and I want to always be with you."

My heart aches. Does she really feel that way about _me_? Am I really going to be able to keep her? Won't she grow tired of me someday?

I start to voice my worries, but she exclaims, "Oh, for Shinigami's sake! Soul, quit ruining the fucking moment!" and her lips aggressively start tangling with my own. "Soul," she whispers directly into my lips. "You need to trust that I know what I want and that's _you_. Now kiss me."

I sigh. I don't know why I know I shouldn't be like this, but sometimes I get in these moods. I wrap my arms around her and halfheartedly kiss her.

She stops and stares into my eyes. "Kiss me for _real_, Soul."

My eyes meet hers and my shame and fears become overwhelmed by waves of desire and passion I couldn't fight even if I wanted to. I kiss her as though my life depends on my lips conveying all the love I have for her inside me.

"That's better. Now, Mr. Grumblepants, please quit worrying about silly things and make some more hot cocoa."

We take our time packing up our camp. I'm sad to leave this place. I'd be happy to stay here with her forever, but, alas, there are ass holes we must fight.

We spend half the day in the general vicinity of our camp site and then we ride Brunnie to the opposite end of the park and explore that area. We find no evidence of a secret hideout, bird people, or any other demons. By dinner time we are exhausted and decide to stay in one of the park's designated campgrounds so that we can have a fire.

I'm having a hard time getting the tinder to catch the way I want it to and am starting to get frustrated when she senses a presence near-by.

"Demon?"

"Yup."

I grin.

"It has that same weird feeling the other one had."

"Yuck! I'm not eating it then," I stand up, raring to go kick demon butt, but much to my surprise Maka comes running over to me rather than in the direction of the demon.

"Thank you for being the best partner," she says and kisses me before grabbing my hand and shouting, "Come on!"

We find this evil-doer in a very small clearing not too far from the campground. It was probably attracted here by the increased concentration of human souls in this part of the park.

This one does not heckle and its arms match, but it's still odd and short. Its face is stretched and seems almost flattened and the way it stands on its legs remind me of some kind of hoof stock rather than a human.

"Hey, Evil Munchkin!" I shout at it and in answer it doesn't turn it's body but twists its neck around further than a person should be able to so that it can see me. It's creepy as hell. "Gross! Maka, let's kill this thing fast. It's weirding me out."

She nods and I become her weapon.

"Charging Release" it says as it lowers its head and comes running at us like a bull to a matador.

"What the fuck?" I shout. This is a new one. We haven't seen this technique before and I'm not sure if blocking or just getting the hell out of its way is better.

Maka holds me behind her and jumps out of the way. It's a narrow miss.

She takes a couple steps backward to ensure that our eyes never leave what the demon is doing and when she feels confident that she will not be charged again she says, "Soul Resonance." It's only then that I realize that we defeated the last demon without resonanting with one another.

As our soul wavelengths match I feel the usual sensation plus a warmth I've never experienced before. "Maka…? What is that? Is everything OK?" I'm not sure what is going on or if it's supposed to happen.

"Ah…I think so…I'm fine and if you're OK let's just keep going. OK?"

"No prob. I'm pumped up to end this creep!"

The little monster swings back around and shouts "Balls and Jax" and fireballs shoot out at us, followed by spikey things resembling toy jacks. A couple hit Maka and me, but they don't do much more than burn tiny spots of our flesh.

"Demon Hunter!" I gain my more fancy form and she straifs left as the monster once again does his charging maneuver.

"Where are you from?" she asks the demon.

"Don't know. Don't care. Must destroy you and partner."

"Why?" she questions.

"Maka, I'm not sure this thing is going to be able to tell us anything valuable."

"I know," she tells me. "But I think it's worth a try. We don't have a whole lot to go on."

"Ball and Jax," it shouts again and Maka covers her face with her hands so that her arms and legs get the worst of it.

She manages to deflect a stray jack back at the thing and it yowls in pain when it's hit and then starts to suck its thumb. Mercilessly, Maka swings me and I slice through the demon like it's butter.

I congratulate her, "Good one!" and transform back into human form before she puts me down so I end up materializing in her arms like she's been holding me bridal style. She laughs as she sets me on my feet, but I notice that a couple of the burns on her arms are worse than I expected.

"Maka, we better get some sauve on those."

She nods and walks up to cradle the soul in her arms. "You sure you don't want to eat it?"

"Naw, I'll pass."

We walk back to our camp site and she opens her pack pulling out a soul collection chamber. It's a pop-up plastic jar that can hold up to fourty souls. We've never used ours because I normally eat the demon souls, but I'm in no big hurry to repeat the experience I had last time.

It's dark now and I never managed to get the fire going. I apologize and Maka says it's no big deal because she's pretty tired anyways and she climbs inside the tent and is asleep within a few minutes.


	29. Chapter 29: Fear of Failure

_**Chapter 29: Fear of Failure; A Muted Meister?**_

Over the next few days we trek through almost every inch of the park searching for odd phenomena that might indicate that there has been some kind of enchantment, temporal rift, or curse placed on an area, but we encounter nothing of the sort and nothing with any strong imprint of evil about it. We find _nothing_. No more demons. No Falconer. No crazy half-bird people.

I'm rolling with this, but Maka is suffering. She is casting her Soul Detection ability all her waking hours and it's draining her energy and her humor. It's now day five of the trip and I've run out of chocolate to give her. That's never a good sign.

Two days ago, she apologized for not being more affectionate and I told her that it wasn't a big deal, because it isn't. We're on assignment and when we've got a job to do that comes first. No big whoop, after all it's not like either of us is used to make-out sessions while we go soul hunting and while it was super nice, I wasn't upset to have things revert back to our old habits. As long as at the end of this mission we do a little 'celebrating' I'm happy.

Then yesterday, I didn't even get a good morning kiss _or_ a good night kiss _and_ she barely talked to me. She's in one of those moods she gets into where her meister responsibilities trump her sanity which means I'm going to have to step in to try to get her to realize that she's working herself too hard.

This morning, we've been hiking for three hours and the entire time she has been at least five paces ahead of me. Were it not for her Soul Detection I'm confident I could have vanished and she wouldn't have noticed. I see a large fallen log right by the path that shows evidence of being used as a seat by other trekkers and I figure that now is a good time to work on my meister's…issues.

"Maka, how bout you come sit down?" I open my arms wide indicating that she is welcome to join me on the log. She glances my way, but turns away and continues mumbling to herself. I try again. "Maka, you need a break." The murmurs get louder but I still can't make out what she's saying. Now it's my turn to grumble. I stand up and walk over to her and gently put a hand on her shoulder.

"Maka, I think-"

She whirls around, her eyes blazing with fury. "Why can't I figure this out, Soul?"

I shrug. I'm not entirely sure what she's meant to be figuring out.

"And why doesn't it bother you?" she asks me.

I offer no explanation as I don't know what she's talking about and I'm confident that even if I did know what she was talking about whatever I would say would be met by anger. It's not like this is the first time I've seen her like this and I suspect that this workaholic, obsessiveness is something a lot of meisters succumb to at one point in their career or another, but I've never seen her this bad.

I try smiling at her. "Maka, you know how sometimes I get really frustrated with our homework and you tell me to walk away from it for a little bit-"

"This is totally different, Soul! And don't you even hint that I need to calm down."

"Ok! Ok! You just seem a little tense…" I try a different approach. "You want a massage or something?" I wiggle my long, agile piano-player fingers.

She glares at me. "That will not help! I need to figure this out!"

I sigh. "Sorry, I was trying to help. There's no reason for you to jump down my throat-"

"Well, unlike you _I'm working_!"

Oh, this is _bullshit._ I tell her so and she doesn't like it.

"I don't treat you like shit when _I'm_ having a bad day!" I shout at her.

"I'm not having a bad day-"

"Well, this certainly doesn't seem like a _good_ one to me!"

"I'm _working. _It's what we meisters do!"

_Oh, she did not just say that!_ "Excuse me, Miss Full-of-Yourself, but for your information I have done _all _the navigation on this trip, prepared _almost all_ the meals, and-"

"Oh, do I need to start doing that stuff, too? Am I not doing enough?"

Enough with the nice, understanding approach; I should have known that wouldn't work. Maka isn't one to respond to subtlety. I march up to her and stick my face right up in hers.

"Maka, I am your _partner_ and I am telling you that you are _out of control._ You _need_ to listen to me." I shout right into her face while staring into those gorgeous green eyes of hers desperately hoping that somewhere in that ginormous brain of hers my words will reach a synapse that is still willing to listen to me. She is quiet and I think I may be getting through. "Maka, you're shutting me out and what's worse is you're insulting me. You need to _knock it off_."

Maka continues to glare at me, but doesn't say anything and then I see two streams of tears rapidly glide down her face, one from each eye.

"Oh, for Shinigami's sake! Maka!" I wrap my arms around her but she doesn't return the hug. All she does is stand there sobbing silently while I try to bring her in for a snuggle. It's not an easy thing to do. She's stiff as a board and strong; it's as though I'm embracing a pillar that I suddenly feel the need to get up close and personal with. It's very awkward and more than a little ironic considering how cozy we were with one another a few short days ago. "Maka," I bend over and look skyward toward her face. "Do you think maybe you could talk to me?"

"I can't do it!" she shouts and a wave of panic comes over me, because I'm not sure I want to know what she means. I release her and take a step back to give her a little space.

"Can't do what…exactly?" I ask, my voice trembling like a coward.

Here it is; the moment I've feared, the moment when she says that we tried it and it doesn't work for us to be partners and lovers and we need to do something different moving forward. I feel sick, and I had thought things were going great until this…I'm an idiot.

"Soul, I can't find Falconer!" She admits with a tone of finality like she has sentenced someone to imminent execution.

"Falconer?" I wave my arms around wildly. "_This_ is _**all**_ about Falconer?!"

She nods, still crying. "What did you think? That I was breaking up with you or something?"

I stand there in stunned silence.

"You didn't…?" Her eyes meet mine and I look away quickly, unwilling to let her read my emotions. "Soul, how could you think that?" She grabs me and hugs me, suddenly no longer unwelcoming of my touch.

A single tear rolls from my eye onto her shoulder, but I'm hoping she doesn't notice. I don't want her to know how insecure I am and how scared I am of being without her love. I quickly put on my 'cool' face and say, "Gee. I don't know, Maka. You've completely shut me out the last couple days. You keep mumbling to yourself, not sharing anything with me. You barely look at me, let alone kiss me or something. And then you start with this stupid I'm –the-meister-so-my-job-is-the-hardest crap. What was I supposed to think?"

"Soul, I'm sorry. I really am. I've been under a lot of strain."

"And I _know_ that and I'm _trying_ to be understanding, but when I say you need to take a break, _you __**need **__to take a break._ I'm not trying to lure you into bed or something. _I'm trying to take care of you _as your partner…and as your boyfriend. I love you, Maka. I don't like seeing you like this." She buries her face in my chest.

"I'm really sorry."

"It's ok. Just don't pull that crap about me not pulling my weight because you _know_ I do. I just don't get the most glamorous jobs sometimes."

"I'm sorry."

"Quit saying you're sorry. _It's fine_. You just need a rest."

"It's just so _frustrating_ that I can't figure out where Falconer is hiding."

I shrug. "Maybe he's not here. Maybe Lord Death's intel sucks. This _is _the man who hired a witch to be the school nurse at his witch hunting school and never caught on."

She sighs. "But…"

"No, buts. I'm going to tell him that unless they have gotten some more info that confirms we're in the right place we're taking the next train home."

"I don't want to fail."

"This isn't our failure. It's the people who sent us here and remember everything we do is the two of us doing it _together_. Even if we _did_ screw up, it was '_us_' screwing up not '_you_'. That's one of the reasons meisters and weapons work as teams. Now, please, come sit down."

Holding her hand, I walk back to the log and we both sit down. She snuggles up to me, but I can tell she's still not relaxed.

"Is there something else you want to talk about? Something else bothering you?" I ask her while slipping a piece of her hair behind her ear.

"There's something about those demons that's weird."

"Well, maybe that's all the more reason for us to return to DC. We can have everybody take a look at that demon soul we captured. Maybe they can help us to pinpoint what's off about it."

"Oh, Soul, you're so smart."

Oh, Death, she's crying again! When was the last time she got all weepy like this…could it be here time of the month? Or is all this Soul Detection frying her brain? I wish I had more chocolate…

"Look, I'm gonna talk to Lord Death right now and tell him we're coming home."

I pull a small mirror out of the front pocket of my backpack and huff my hot breath onto it to fog it up, write the numbers that enact whatever kind of enchantment makes this bit of magic work and butta boom butta bing!

"Well, hello, Soul! I wasn't expecting to hear from you for another few hours. Something wrong?"

"No, nothing serious, Lord Death, but I'm requesting that Maka and I head home. We've found no evidence that Falconer's headquarters is here in the redwoods and Maka's exhausted. She's been Soul Detecting for days and-"

Maka swats me to indicate I don't have her permission to elaborate on her mental state. I groan and continue, "Yeah, anyway, I wanted to let you know my intention, with your blessing, is to head back home today."

"Well…I'm sorry to hear that your efforts have been fruitless, but I _just_ received news that we have a confirmed sighting of Falconer in Oregon. I'd like you to go there."

"Confirmed?" A part of me wants to tell him to shove it.

Maka skooches her face in so that Lord Death can see her, too, and says, "We'd love to."

I sigh. Great. Now we're going to Oregon…


	30. Chapter 30: Awakening to Reality

Chapter 30: Awakening to Reality; Shattered Dreams in the Taj Mahal?

The train ride from California to Oregon is beautiful and Maka's spirits pick up when I suggest that we have lunch in the dining car. It's really cool and she says her chicken marsala is some of the best she's ever had, which considering it's made in a kitchen the size of a postage stamp is a pretty high compliment to the chef. After lunch we head to the observation car to chill for awhile. Much to my surprise, Maka finds herself more interested in watching the world go by than in reading.

As we travel I start feeling a nip in the air whenever I walk in between the cars and then when I'm returning from the restroom I see white flurries falling.

"What the fuck?" I say to Maka pointing out the huge window of the observation car. "I thought Bend was in the desert."

"_High_ desert, Soul. That means it snows here. Didn't you notice that a bunch of people got on with skiies?"

"Yeah, but I thought they were cosplayers or something."

She laughs. "Why are you so upset? I think it's really pretty. I like watching how the flakes dance on their way down," she says wistfully.

"I'm upset because we don't have hotel reservations and I did _not_ sign up for winter camping. We didn't bring the right gear for this!"

She pulls me close and whispers into my ear, "But don't you think it's kind of romantic?"

"I guess," I grumble, in no way playing along.

"Hmm, and I thought you'd be happy to help keep me warm."

I ignore the comment. I'd rather not get all excited, and by that I mean horny, and then discover we're going to have the same problem here in Oregon that we were having the last couple of days in the redwoods.

We disembark at something called the Three Sisters stop. Maka says the name reminds her of Macbeth and I have to agree. I hope that doesn't signify some kind of bad omen on this portion of our assignment.

We enter the train depot and the first thing I do is to instruct her, "Maka, go put some clothes on. I'll go get the bike." She stands there and her head droops down to examine her pink sweatshirt, deep violet miniskirt, and polka dot sneakers like I'm crazy. Then she gives me the puppy dog eyes. Luckily, I am immune to their power. I bend to her will so much that the big eyes do nothing to me. Besides, for once I'm telling her to wear more clothes for a _practical_ reason, not simply to hide her flesh from the eyes of other lecherous males.

"_Jeans_, Maka. Maybe those long socks of yours. It's gonna be damn cold on Brunnie. You did _bring_ long pants didn't you?" I have this panicked vision of her pack containing nothing but fifteen itsy, bitsy plaid skirts. Surely, she wouldn't be that stupid. I mean this is super-smart, always prepared Maka…right?

"Yes, I brought them, but…"

"What's wrong?" I ask truly puzzled as to what could be preventing her from running off to pile on the layers.

She leans toward me and whispers in my ear, "I think they make me look fat."

I blink at her. Seriously? We're going to do this now? Every once in a while my meister will suddenly have a bout of girlishness. It's really obnoxious because in general I don't like or understand girls. I can't have this. I shout at her and point toward the station's restrooms, "Quit sounding like Liz and Patti and go put on layers. You're supposed to look like the Pillsbury doughboy when it snows. That's how it works."

She's still standing there. Did she forget about Falconer?

I sigh. There must be something more she wants from me and since I don't know what it is I go for good ole fashioned flattery. I whisper in her ear, "You know, Maka, it doesn't matter to me what you look like with your clothes on, 'cause I get the fun of taking them off of you." She turns beet red and it's so cute I have to kiss her right there in the middle of the station. I let my hand run up her leg letting it roam just a tiny bit above her hemline scandalizing some old woman sitting in the station. So much for not getting horny. I sigh. Oh, well. Around Maka it should be considering my normal state of being I guess, but at least I've been successful; my meister scampers off to the restroom pack in hand. The things she puts me through, sheesh! Fat? Really? I'm going to have to give Tiny Tits crap about that later.

While Maka's in the restroom, I talk to a couple of the station employees about lodging and get directed to a resort hotel a few miles away.

Never before having driven Brunnie in the snow, I take it slow. I'm paranoid that I might hit ice that will send the three of us (Maka, Me, and the bike) sailing to the ground, but everything turns out totally fine and Maka congratulates me on my skillful driving as we hop off Brunnie in front of the Wintermore Lodge and Resort Hotel. It masquerades as a ginormous log cabin from the outside, but I don't bother to take any time to access the architecture. My hands are fuckin' freezing and I'm getting a little hungry since it's around dinner time and I haven't had anything to eat since lunch in the dining car.

As soon as we enter the resort, Maka spies the hotel's gift shop and tells me she wants to see if they have gloves. I check that she has enough of our allotted DWMA expense money and tell her I'll take care of everything else while she shops.

Maka seems to be feeling more like herself and it's nice not to have to set up camp. This might actually be a little relaxing. The only problem is that we are terribly out of place here. All the other hotel guests are wearing designer sports apparel as though they just participated in the winter Olympics and we are filthy and sopping wet, especially me because I've been wearing these clothes for more than a day and have now had to layer on top of them more clothes that are even dirtier including a t-shirt splattered with demon blood. Laundry is going to be a high priority. Death, I don't think I've ever said that before in my life. Ugh, I hate being responsible. It's like I'm old or something.

I take a deep breath and walk up to the front desk knowing that I look like a homeless person, but gaining confidence from the wad of cash I'm clutching in my pocket.

A man behind the counter wearing a long sleeve maroon shirt emblazoned with the resort logo greets me. I can tell that he is assessing my appearance, but in a nonjudgmental voice he asks me, "Hello! What can I do for you?"

"I need a room."

"Ok, for how many nights?"

"I'm actually not sure…for at least one, possibly more…we're gonna see how things go here…"

"Of course. They say there will be three inches of fresh powder by this weekend."

"Great," I say scanning the lobby. There are quite a few people here all appearing to be having a good time. They're relaxing by the lobby's huge fireplace, standing around chit-chatting, and walking with purpose to some other part of the hotel. A couple toddlers are running wild and even their parents seem relatively relaxed considering the children are squealing at a particularly ear-blaring pitch.

"And how many beds will you be needing?"

"Just one," I say.

"Ok, one single-"he says while hitting some keys on the computer.

"Aw, no. One double or queen or something. It's for me and my girlfriend." I tip my head in the direction of the gift shop.

"Aw, my wife loves to shop, too. I find it dreadfully boring, but our little boutique here is actually quite nice." He pauses for a moment before continuing, "Now are there any amenities you would like in the room? Microwave, refrigerator, fireplace, hot tub?"

_Technically_, I'm supposed to choose the most stripped-down room because the DWMA is picking up the tab for this stay, but I'm never one to follow the rules and my meister needs to relax.

"I think something with a fireplace and hot tub would be great. We've been roughing it for a while."

"Camping, I think?" he says briefly assessing the dirt under my fingernails and the layer of grim I'm covered in.

"Yeah."

"How nice. Ok, we will put you in Bridal Suite Two."

I make a face like I sucked on a lemon and ask him, "Could you do me a favor and _not_ call it that in front of my girlfriend? She's a little embarrassed. It's our first time away together."

"Oh, I see," he says smiling.

"And if she asks _all_ the rooms have a fireplace and hot tub."

"Well, I can't really lie to a custo-"

"Please, I'd _really_ appreciate it," and I slip him some money across the counter while trying to think how to creatively mark this on our expense report. Didn't Kim say something about how we could donate some money to stimulate small businesses in local economies we visit? I'll figure it out one way or another.

I get our room keys and a map of the hotel. There's a room with a pool table and movies and games you can check out to your room, as well as an exercise room and a pool. I smile. Maybe this little unexpected detour before going home will work out ok after all and if we can manage to knock off Falconer I'm confident Lord Death and Professor Stein won't ask too many questions about my receipts.

Maka comes jogging up to me wearing a matching hat and gloves. The hat has flaps over the ears that transition into little braids and there is a tassel that sprouts from the top of it. It would probably make lots of people look stupid, but she looks adorable in it.

"Cute!" I say. "Is that from alpacas?" The hat and gloves remind me of a sweater my mom had made of alpaca fiber. I had forgotten all about it. It was one of my mom's favorites…I wonder whatever happened to it.

"Yeah. Cool, huh? And I got you something!" She hops up to pull a fleece skullcap over my head. It's black with orange trim. I'm sure it must look ridiculous on me what with all my spikey hair under it stretching it every which way, but she seems delighted and gives me a kiss. "Here's the matching gloves."

"Thanks," I tell her genuinely grateful. "Come on. Let's go check out our room."

The bridal suites are on the top most floor, floor four, and thankfully don't say 'Bridal Suite' on them but are labeled with a very elaborately scrolled 'B' and 'S' on the door along with the suite number.

"That's weird. You wouldn't think that'd want their doors saying 'BS' on them. I wonder what it stands for," she queries aloud and I feign ignorance.

I slide the key in the slot and open the door and am immediately satisfied that no matter what kind of creative bookkeeping this makes me have to do that it will be well worth it.

"Soul, look at that huge tub!" She says excitedly pointing to a jacuzzi tub that is in the main part of the room outside of the bathroom. I smile and nod. I cannot wait to get into that thing with her!

Then suddenly in monotone she drones, "But we gotta find Falconer."

I nod. I expected this. This is success-driven Maka, after all, but I have a plan. I walk up beside her and put my hands on her shoulders. "We do. _But_ we gotta figure out where we are exactly and look at the maps and figure out where we want to start looking. I think we should plan to do our Falconer hunting starting _tomorrow_. Tonight we can have a little R and R and plan and take a dip in the hot tub." It's a very practical plan, but I interweave a little bit of my 'sexy' voice in as I say it hoping that will weaken any remaining resolve she has to hit the Falconer trail tonight.

I see her smile and as she appraises the room and it's features I can almost see the visions she is having of enjoying her stay with reading by the fireplace, a soak in the hot tub, sleep and perhaps other things in the big, comfy looking bed which after four nights on the DWMA's standard issue craptastic sleep mats will be like staying in the Taj Mahal for us.

She whirls around and stares into my eyes. "Soul?" I know she wants to ask me why this room is so fancy. I _know _she feels the need to scold me for not following proper DWMA expense protocol, but she remains silent. Ha, ha. _I won_. She wants to soak in the hot tub, too! I'm so proud of myself I can't stop grinning.

I immediately dump my backpack on the floor and stretch. "Death, I'm starving," I say. "Do you want to take a shower and go to the restaurant downstairs?"

She shakes her head. "That sounds like work."

I smile even wider. "I was hoping you'd say that. How 'bout I go downstairs and get our laundry going and I'll order something to have brought to our room. That ok?"

She beams at me. I am being an amazing boyfriend right now and we both know it. I can hardly wait for her to thank me.

"Sounds great," she says tossing her pack on the bed and rummaging through it. I do the same except most of my clothes are on me so I stand there peeling layer after layer off while she watches me.

"Enjoying the view?" I tease her.

"Yeah, actually I am. I always get a little zing when you undress."

"Zing? My meister has one of the largest vocabularies of anyone I know and that's the word you pick?"

She walks up to me and puts a hand on my chest. "Yes. I can't say 'chill' that would sound eerie. It's got too many bad connatations. I guess I could say 'goose bumps' but that still isn't quite right…"

She looks up at me and kisses me. "Hurry back, ok?"

I nod and hold out my hand for her laundry. Maka hands me a wad of clothing that she has rolled into a kind of ball. "Don't look at it," she instructs me as she places it in my hands.

I laugh. "Maka, I've seen your laundry before."

"I know, but I never let you do my panties before. It seems weird to give them to you."

My head flies backward I'm laughing so hard. "Let me get this straight. You aren't embarrassed to parade around naked in front of me or in your panties, but you're embarrassed to give them to me for me to put in the washing machine."

"Yes, something like that."

"You have very weird sensibilities. Must come from all that reading," I tease her while stuffing her laundry in with mine in my pack to carry downstairs.

She blushes and runs toward the bathroom. "Is it weird that I want to shower before I get in the tub?"

"No, we're both filthy, but you better not start complaining this place is assymetrically built. You do that and we're going to have to have a little talk."

I head downstairs with our laundry and purchase some maps from the gift shop, order room service, and ask for a few more bottles of shampoo from the front desk because frankly it's going to take a lot to get the ground in dirt out of my fro.

I let myself into the room and am met by the loud hum of the Jacuzzi tub and happy little meister moans.

"Oh, Soul! This is so nice. Thank you. I'm so sorry about earlier."

"I told you to stop apologizing. But I do want you to relax tonight. I really need you to do that _for me_, ok?"

She nods.

"Good. We can plan, but I don't want you doing any Soul Detection or calling Lord Death about anything. This is a night off for you."

"What about you? And why don't you have a shirt on?"

"I threw it in with the laundry. I figured I might as well…I didn't expect to be wearing it much longer anyways," I say grinning at her.

She smiles and tells me to get in the tub with her. "Naw. I have to wait till our dinner arrives. Then I'll join you. They said it'd be less than a half hour."

I hop on the bed, kick my shoes off, pull off my socks and turn on the TV. Most of what's on is total crap, but I manage to find a comedian doing stand-up who is half way decent. I try to concentrate on his jokes to distract me from the sexy noises coming from the hot tub, but it's difficult. This may be the longest half hour of my life.

About three comedy bits later, I hear a knock at the door and I hop off the bed, peer through the peephole in the door and see that it is a man with a cart on which are several silver trays. I fling open the door and welcome him in before I remember that Maka is _naked_ in the bathtub and that while there are bubbles I probably shouldn't have let this dude in the room. I strategically place myself between him and her spot in the tub trying to make myself wider than I really am in hopes that he can't see anything.

"One salmon with rice pilaf and one linguini with roasted potatoes. One bottle of sparkling cider and one tray of a half dozen chocolate covered strawberries."

Maka gasps and starts to bolt out of the tub. I use all my muscle to hold her in the tub as I give the man his tip. The door barely closes behind him before she is streaking over to the table where he has set our meal.

"Chocolate covered strawberries?"

I nod and much to my surprise instead of her lifting the lid and grabbing one of them she throws her arms around me and kisses me. "Oh, thank you! Thank you."

I smirk a little. It's not like it was hard. I saw them on the menu. I knew she would like them. I ordered them. It's really the chef who did the hard part, but I don't say this. Why would I do that when I'm enjoying the sensation of her breasts pressing into my bare chest?

We kiss and I fear that our fancy meal might not get eaten if we continue this so I reluctantly pull myself away and grab a fork.

"Dig in."

Maka finds that there is a robe hanging in the bathroom and puts it on while she eats her dinner. We talk about the paintings on the wall which we like and the lamps which we don't, because it's hard to find the switch on them. Then it's time for desert and after scarfing down one of the strawberries herself she climbs into my lap and holds one for me to eat, but I'm not looking at the strawberry. I'm looking at the robe as it slips off her shoulder and how it's gapping in the front right in between her legs which are spread one on either side of me.

I lift her up and carry her to the bed and she smiles from ear to ear.

"Feeling better?" I inquire and she nods.

"Good." I lay her down on her back and reach down and untie the robe's belt and open it. I take in her naked body, here and there marred with a bruise or a burn mark and it reminds me that we haven't put any sauve on any of the spots today. I get up and retrieve it from our stuff and come over and lift one of her arms and start massaging it into the injuries. This is something all DWMA students do as a courtesy to one another, but for the first time it feels erotic not at all like when I have to do the ones on Black*Star's back because he's done something to piss off Tsubaki.

I start kissing her arm then her foot and her leg.

Oh, I have got to stop. Oh, holy hell. I flop on my back next to her and she rolls over and kisses me.

"Soul…"

"Hhhmmm," I reply, sexy visions flashing through my thoughts in time to my accelerated heartbeat. Better than ever before I understand that old phase my grandmother uses, 'hot and bothered' because that is exactly what I am. I want Maka worse than anything else in my entire life.

She seems to want to say something, but she is hesitating. I sit up and grab myself a glass of water and come back to bed.

"Soul, let's have sex tonight."

I start choking on my water. She needs to warn me before some big announcement like that.

"That's sweet Maka, but we can't. I didn't bring any condoms." I tell her. There it's said and done and over with. I can now return to the tortures of my horniness.

"You what?!"

"Sorry! It's not my fault they aren't part of the DWMA's standard first aid kit. Death, knows they should be!"

"You _intentionally_ didn't bring any?"

"Well…yeah, because I didn't want you to think I wanted that…I mean _I do_…oh, God, I really do, but I didn't want you to think I needed, er…expected it and we're on assignment and I didn't want you to think I wasn't taking it seriously."

She shakes her head. "You always take our assignments seriously. If you didn't I wouldn't enjoy having you as a partner."

"Well, that's really sweet of you but-"

She is on top of me. Her hands attack my belt, her lips press into mine, while her tongue dives into my mouth. It's all happening so fast and I seem powerless to stop her.

"Maka, what the fuck? I just told you we don't have any condoms and I'm not having anything happen to you like it did with Tsubaki."

She smiles at me. "I thought that's what this was about."

"Of course that's what this is about!" I shout in frustration. "I want to be all over you, but it's not a good idea. I can't pretend this shit only happens to people we don't know!" She continues to plant hot, wet kisses on my chest and neck.

"I guess I could see if I could buy some somewhere…" I say uncertain what she wants me to do at this point. "OK, I'll go if you want me to."

She pulls back. "Soul, are you scared?"

"Yeah, I'm scared."

"Why?"

"Because I don't want to ruin your life, but I want this really bad."

"How bad?"

I narrow my eyes. What is she playing at?

"And," I mumble. "What if I'm no good?"

Maka falls back on the bed laughing and her hand slides down my pants which should remove from her mind any doubt of just how much I want her. I don't think I've ever been this hard in my life.

"Soul, we don't need to worry about condoms-"

"No!" What a vile temptress!

She is grinning at me like I am so, so funny.

"Maka, am I missing something?"

"Yes, you are," she says running her hand through my hair lovingly. "But, I love how much you care about me. You always make me feel so safe. And if you'd ever let me finish, I could tell you that we don't need to worry about condoms because I'm on the pill."

This news hits me slowly. We're teenagers…I thought that was something only college women did or people who already had a kid or two.

I stare up at my meister who is on top of me, naked, and apparantly giving me free license to fuck her brains out. "Wait, did I miss something? Did you at some point have another boyfriend and forget to tell me? Is there some guy out there I'm gonna need to kill?"

She laughs and in-between kisses and stroking me she says, "No, silly. I've been on them for years. Remember how I had those really horrible cramps?"

"Yeah, you were in bed all day. We even got excused from missions 'cause you were so bad."

Maka smiles. "Well, you knew I went to the doctor about it and they made it better. Well, they said if I started taking the pill it might help and it did so…I…"

"Wait a second. Those little pills in that round thing? Those pills you've taken every night for like ever? You told me those were vitamins!"

She laughs, "Only a guy would believe that vitamins come in packaging like that."

"You lied!" She giggles again like it's the funniest thing she has ever pulled over on her weapon.

"You know," I continue. "That violates DWMA regulations. A partner is supposed to know all medications that their partner is on in the event of an emergency." I can't believe she's kept this hidden from me and made me sweat like this.

"Birth control pills don't counteract any lifesaving medications or treatments."

I can't argue with her. I have no idea. I don't know how the pill works or what EMTs do to save people I just know that my meister has done something against the rules and whenever that happens I must give her a hard time even if it means delaying sex a little bit.

"Why are you so shocked, Soul? There was no way that two years ago I was prepared to tell you I was on birth control pills. That would have been so embarrassing."

"I'm just surprised is all. It seems that my meister has been having some kind of sexual awakening while I've been off playing basketball or something."

"It can hardly be called a sexual awakening. I think I'd have to have sex for that."

"Well, for all I know you have a vibrator hidden away somewhere."

"No, not yet." She says very matter-of-factly.

"Yet?" My jaw drops and she giggles and blushes.

"What? Don't look at me like that. It's natural."

"And why would you need a vibrator when you will have _me_?"

"Soul," she looks up at me with sadness in her eyes. "You aren't going to be around _all_ the time."

I am truly confused. "Where am I gonna be?"

"Well, once you're a deathscythe Lord Death…or Kid, I guess, that's weird to think about…" she loses track of her train of thought for a moment. "You'll be sent out on missions alone or have to fight alongside Death and-"

"And you'll be with me," I state. There is no way I'm gonna let her put in all the work to make me a deathscythe and then have me abandon her.

"I don't think that's how it works," she sighs. "It's not like I'm happy about it, but that's just the way it is."

I lay there for a moment taking all this in and she slides up my body so that I can see that she has tears in her eyes. "Soul, can we please not talk about it?"

"Oh, Maka. I'm sorry! I'm an idiot!"

I kiss her. Tonight we need to live in the moment, but I'm glad we had this conversation, because I'm gonna need to have a talk to Professor Stein about this. We're on the road to Maka being the youngest meister in history to turn her weapon into a deathscythe, but I never saw that as meaning an end to our partnership and if that's what would happen it's not what I want. I want her more than anything else and reminding myself of this fact, I whisper in her ear, "Well, maybe it's time you have that sexual awakening."


	31. Chapter 31: The Day Life Begins

_**Chapter 31: The Day Life Begins; Harder?!**_

There has been so much building up to this moment, yet making love to Maka doesn't feel like the culmination of something or the beginning of something new. It simply feels like the inevitability I always hoped it to be, a more physical way of expressing the things our hearts and souls have known for a very long time. Above all, Maka is my friend, a confidant that despite our differences seems to know what I need even when I don't. I can't say I expected it to be this way.

I remember the first time I laid eyes on her. Like a lot of young meisters new to the academy, she was looking for a weapon partner, but she had wandered away from the main gathering of new students to where I was seated alone at the grand piano. Maybe it was fate or maybe Lord Death had strategically placed that piano in just the right spot hoping someone would find me because I'm sure that he'd been warned I was a bit antisocial.

From looking at her I could access that she was bookish and not overly concerned with her appearance like some of the girls who were plastered with makeup, their hair stiff from hairspray. She was nervous just like me, but had a sweet, earnest manner about her. I pegged her as a know-it-all, someone who would drive me bonkers, but I figured, what the hell? I'll test her. I'll play for her. If that doesn't scare her off than maybe nothing will.

My music was always misunderstood. My music teachers would reprimand me for not having the artistic restraint to compose something that came together as a cohesive whole. What they didn't understand was that I knew nothing about being whole. I was jealous of my brother's success and struggling with coming to terms with being a demon weapon and having an absent dad and then when mom got diagnosed…well, I got angrier. I didn't want anyone to tell me how to feel or how to play or even how to behavior and any partner of mine was going to have to accept that.

And so I played, pouring all my emotions into the notes. The anger and pain and fear and joy and dark humor being propelled from my soul into my song. I told her the song was who I was. I expected her to run, but she didn't. She did something no one else had ever done; _she smiled_. She didn't tell me I had to change. She heard my song and was _drawn_ to it and _liked it, liked __**me**__._ She asked me to be her partner. She chose to harmonize with me. That's the day my life changed.

"Maka, I love you," I whisper to her. I wish there were better words to express to her how I feel, because "I love you"s get thrown around so lightly it seems, but she knows me. She knows I'm not like that. Then I remember something she said earlier today something that had made my heart pound and my body be overrun with a wave of heat. She told me that she was mine "body, mind, and soul." Replaying that moment in my mind gets me so excited I pull her face close to me and whisper in her ear, "Oh, Maka, I wish I could tell you how much I love you." I run my tongue on the edge of her ear and she lets out a little gasp. She bites her lip and replies that maybe there aren't words.

Then nervously she says, "That's why I want to show you with my body." Oh, Death!

"Oh, God, how I've wanted you," I say as I throw off my pants and boxers that she has already loosened. I feel driven to claim her as my own. I want nothing more than to be inside of her and make that annoying gap between our bodies disappear. Surely, having two separate bodies is a redundancy for us. We belong together- one being with two sides, like a coin, each needing the other to be whole. I kiss her, my lips sucking on hers, my brain marveling at how soft they are and how every part of her is so smooth. I release her lips and see that she is smiling at me her face a tinge redder than usual. Her eyes meet mine and then she glances away seemingly embarrassed to be caught in my lust-filled gaze. I reach for her chin and pull her back to me and smile at her.

"Don't be embarrassed, Maka. It's just me," I say and she smiles.

"Soul, I love you," she says in a voice so soft that it's barely audible…or maybe I simply sense her thought. I don't know. My lips once again meet hers. I am over her kissing her, my hands under her enjoying the feel of her body unfettered by garments.

For the first time, we are both free to be with one another as we have desired. I run my tongue down to the nape of her neck and suck on it. She moans and her body lifts up ever so slightly allowing my right hand the opportunity to find a resting spot on the dip of her lower back, enabling me to guide and direct her body at my will.

"Bite me," she says and I gently nip the area I've been sucking and she lets out a yelp like a puppy. "Oh, Shinigami, do it again!" she whines and I bite her again this time a little lower. Over the years many perpetrators of evil have left their marks on her skin, but now she will have scars from love, from her partner who will battle by her side till his dying day.

Her hands are wrapped around me and with every touch I get tingles. I reach between her legs and find that she is practically dripping and even the slightest brush of my finger near her entrance makes her spread her legs as a sign that I am welcome inside her. I slide a couple of my fingers into her as I concentrate my kisses and bites on the other side of her neck. I gently grab her breast and suck on it as I play with her insides. Tremors shake her body and I can't wait any longer. Her mouth hangs half way open, her green eyes watching me. I pull my fingers out and guide myself into her.

I watch as her mouth opens wider and her eyes close. I go slowly trying to make sure that I don't hurt her, but she's so wet that I slide into her easily. She curls her legs around me, hooking her ankles behind me so that I'm trapped within her legs just as she is trapped beneath me in between my arms. I start pushing in and pulling out a little and she moans.

"Oh, that feels so good…"she says as I slide myself back and forth inside her. I lean down and kiss her forehead.

"You ok?" I ask and she nods and murmurs that she is. I buck my hips back and forth while my left hand finds her right and our fingers interlace. I can't believe I'm inside her. If I think about it too much I get too near climaxing so I have to just concentrate on watching her face and feeling her strong muscles that surround me. I stop kissing her and straighten myself up so I can pound into her. I do and she lets out a howl.

"Yes, like that! Harder, Soul. Harder!"

I smirk. I will happily give it to her as hard and fast as she wants. I start speeding up and she moans.

"Harder!" She shouts. I withdraw my hand from hers and brace myself so I can give her what she wants. She keeps calling my name and moaning, her head flipping from side to side as I go in and out of her.

She reaches up for me and I wrap my arms around her torso and she manages to sit up without her pussy losing its grasp on me. She scoots closer to me and I am amazed to feel myself go into her even deeper than before. She starts rocking herself so that now I'm the one holding still and she's the one moving. I look down and I can see myself disappearing into her and I remember all those times I desired this, but thought that it would never happen.

"Maka, you are so sexy," I growl into her ear and I can tell the sound of my voice excites her.

"Talk to me, Soul."

"Mmmmmmm. What should I say? Tell you about all those times I imagined what this would be like, but how my wildest fantasy is nothing compared to the real you."

"Oh, Soul," she smiles and hugs me with such force she knocks me backwards so I'm laying down, my head hanging off the bed. We both start laughing and she gets up grabs my ankles and slides me so that I'm no longer hanging off the bed. I smile at her and she climbs on top of me pulling my cock into her. I let out a massive groan as she starts to raise and lower herself up and down it. I watch her as much as I can, but I'm starting to get overloaded and I find myself shutting my eyes and just moaning. She is tight and muscular and squeezing down upon me so that every part of my cock is in contact with her. It feels so good. Oh, I'm going to cum! But then she slides herself slowly off of me and for a millisecond I'm disappointed and eager to once again be inside her, but then she gets down on all fours and licks the head of my cock and I yowl. She picks it up and runs her tongue all over it while her eyes are deadlocked on mine. She wants me to watch as she gives special attention to every inch of it.

"Oh, Maka!" I cry and she smiles devilishly. She is getting pleasure just from giving it to me. I throw my head back and feel her tongue and lips creating what feels like an electrical storm in my groin and then as suddenly as she started she stops and climbs on top of me grabbing my cock now glistening with her saliva. She gives me a lust-filled stare and then pulls me into her enveloping me with one swift movement. I gasp, never having before felt myself go into her so smoothly or quickly. She begins to grind herself on my pelvis, twisting and spinning as she moves up and down and our moaning becomes synchronized as our soul wavelengths match one another and I know that soon we will be cumming together and I briefly wonder if it's possible to resonant your soul with someone inadvertently when you are so intimately entangled as we are.

She raises herself so I almost come out, but then she lowers herself with a determined expression and yelps with pleasure when she gets to my base. She continues this until I can no longer watch her. I am too near to losing it.

"Maka, I'm close…" I tell her and she picks up her pace and her squeals become more erratic. She leans in and gives me one final kiss but I use it as an opportunity to grab her and roll her onto her back pinning her down, holding her hands above her head. I have to have another turn at pounding her. I can't help myself. I love hearing her scream!

I move my pelvis closer and farther from her fast and then faster. She screams and I increase my speed and then she screams again and I try to go faster still. Death, I love listening to her. I love knowing that I can make this usually mild-mannered sweet girl let go and just _feel_ and _scream_! I love how when we are together like this we can shut out the rest of the world focusing only on each other and making each other feel amazing.

She is thrashing under me and I'm coming undone from the touch of her pussy and the sound of her voice and the scent of our mingled sweat and her dripping sex.

"Oh, Soul, oh, oh, oooohhhhhhhhh!"

She's so close and I want her to cum so badly and I know as soon as she does I will, too. I don't know how I'm holding myself together right now. She feels amazing, she looks like an angel and I have wanted this for so long. There have been so many nights when I wondered what this would be like, but I had never imagined Maka to be such a goddess of sex. She knows just what to do to drive me insane. It's like we were made for each other.

I pull almost all the way out and then slam into her before returning to my rapid pounding and I begin to start the cycle again when she starts making a little sound that builds into a bigger one and then it grows even larger until it becomes a huge, wild scream, "Yes! Yess!" and then it happens. "Yes….oh….SOooooooouuuuulllll!" She stretches my name out letting it hang in the air above us as a wave of warm fluid meets me. I make one final forward thrust before I begin to cum into her. I moan and make grunting sounds I've never heard myself make, but I'm not self-conscious, not with her.

I rock her gently back and forth on me a few more times before I pull out and lay down beside her. She has a look of bliss on her face. We lay there for a while trying to catch our breath before she rolls on her side to face me.

"Thank you, Soul," she says with an expression of awe. I smile and reach over to tuck a few stray hairs behind her ears, "Any time, meister. Any time."

I smile at my meister happy that all those years ago she chose to tangle the notes of her song with mine. Since that first day I've grown to love her in so many ways. She is my friend, my confidant who knows my thoughts even when I don't speak them. She is my partner, a person I trust completely and would sacrifice my life to protect and now I'm her lover, because today she decided to claim that which has been hers for so very long-_me_, body, mind, and soul.

I yawn. "Love you, Maka," I say as I wrap an arm around her already feeling the drowsiness of post-coital delight setting in on me.

"Love you, too, Soul," she says and nestles her head in my chest.

From now on our songs will be entwined so tightly that no one listening to them will be able to determine where one song ends and the other begins and that makes me very, very happy.


	32. Chapter 32: The Allure of Pleasure

**Risenfromash: Thank you for your continued support.**

_**Chapter 32: The Allure of Pleasure; What the Fuck?**_

I wake up a while later to see Maka tiptoeing by me to grab a copy of the room key off the night stand. She's dressed in a lime green nightgown that's printed with yellow stars all over it. It's basically one big oversized t-shirt and true to her fashion sense is far too short to wear in public, but she's headed toward the door anyways.

"Wear a robe, meister! Or I'll have to beat them off with sticks!"

"Shit!" She shouts as she jumps like a foot in the air. She turns back around placing her hands on her hips. "Soul, you scared me! I thought you'd be out for hours." And then apparently recalling why she specifically thought I'd be especially tired, blushes and suddenly becomes very interested in her toes.

Not wanting to make her any more self-conscious that she already is, I ignore the fact we just banged each other like two wild animals in heat and do my best to act normal. "Naw. I just woke up. What you up to?"

"I'm going to get a soda. You want something?"

"Sure. A root beer would be great." While camping we pretty much only drink water or water with a nasty tasting electrolyte powder added to it so imagining an actual cold soda is pretty heavenly.

She obediently grabs the hotel bathrobe and tosses it over her nightgown and heads out giving me a moment to collect my thoughts and create a plan for the rest of the evening. Let's see…I haven't used the hot tub alone or with Meister Maka…and I have had quite a workout today.

_Oh, Shinigami, I cannot believe Maka and I just had sex!_ If you had told me two weeks ago that on our next mission that Maka and I would be like _that_, I'd never have believed it. I mean I didn't think she was a prude or anything, but I thought that even if I managed to get her to be my girlfriend that it would be years till we…Damn, I am one lucky dude.

I pull on my boxers as I walk over to the tub. I drain out the water that is in it and start to fill it up with fresh water. Yup, I think it's about time for me to partake in the luxury of having an awesome hotel room with an awesome partner. Death, am I really getting horny again already? Wow…I kinda didn't think that was possible…

Maka returns shortly and hands me my can of soda, but I don't only grab my drink. I grab her wrist and smirk at her as I pull her toward me. My lips are on hers once again, caressing her delicate flesh with mine. Her hands slide down to grasp my butt.

"Thank you, Soul," she says sweetly and I can sense that her soul is contented and at peace.

"Like I said. Anytime," and then I give a toothy grin and continue, "Like now…for instance," and I scoop her up as easily as if she were a stuffed doll and toss her over my shoulder. She's literally hanging upside down with her ass right by my face. Her nightgown has flopped down and it's an extremely nice view. I plant a kiss on the side of her ass right by the edge of her panties and pretend that I can't hear her protesting.

"Soul Eater! Put me down!" She shouts indignantly.

It cracks me up that after all this time she still never anticipates when I'm going to pick her up and mess with her. Here she is, this totally badass meister who can take down demons and win arm wrestling matches against some of the DWMA's strongest yet somehow I can scoop her up and she becomes totally helpless in my arms. So cute!

"This isn't funny!" She says but I can tell from her tone she isn't actually pissed or at least not very. It's good for her to not always be in charge. Sometimes, her weapon partner has to have a little fun and tonight…well, tonight he's going to have _lots_ of fun.

I stop for a moment. "If it isn't funny then why is my meister laughing?" I rotate as though I'm attempting to talk to her face to face, but I can't because her head is behind me so I just spin and spin.

"I was not!"

"Liar. You're totally smiling and I can feel your belly jiggling." I reach up and tickle her a little and she quakes even more.

"Oh, stop, Soul! Stop! You're gonna make me pee!"

Aw. I've heard that excuse before and I have yet to receive any golden showers from my meister. I shake my head and walk around the room with her as though she's a sack of potatoes or something.

"You know, Maka, you shouldn't say 'no' when you mean 'yes'. It's very irresponsible. It confuses us guys." I set her down by the hot tub and strip off her nightgown. I start nibbling at her neck moving towards her tits.

"Soul!" She seems shocked like I'm not supposed to already be hot for her again, but she's missing the point. I'm _always_ hot for her and I'm gonna have her again. I can't help myself.

"Soul, I haven't even had my soda," she says in a lame attempt to get me to stop.

"Come on," I say huskily. "Get in the hot tub with me." I say those words, but the way I say it implies much more. Her face lights up and she pulls off her panties and climbs in. Death, I _love_ this girl!

I grab our ice cold sodas and set them on the edge of the Jacuzzi. She sits relaxing in the warmth of the tub, eyes closed, as I pull my boxers off and climb in. I settle myself on one end of the tub my arms stretched out on either side of me. She immediately comes splashing over.

"Oh, Soul. This is really nice," she says as she settles in spooned up next to me sipping her cherry coke. Honestly though, there is something in the way of being a perfect spoon, something big and hard bobbing in the water, that is getting more and more excited every time her ass brushes up against it. I'm getting all these urges to bend her over, but I try to stay cool and just sit there sipping my soda and enjoying this rare moment. I don't want her to think I'm some kind of sex addict; it'd probably be better to slowly introduce that topic.

"Yeah, it's totally cool," I say sitting there feeling the warm water soothe my sore muscles as I take a big slurp of my root beer.

"But, I'm still disappointed we haven't found Falconer-"

"_Yet_. Maka, we haven't found him _yet_, but when we do you'll take his soul no problem." Oh, Shinigami! I think about her in combat and it gets me as turned on as seeing her naked. There is something so sexy about how determined and sure of herself she becomes when it's time to take a soul and, of course, most of the time when she's doing it she's clutching me so tight with those hands…

I pick up her left hand and kiss the back of it. She turns her head toward me a look of consternation on her face. "Do you think it's normal to already be horny again?"

I get a little embarrassed. "I can't help it."

She laughs. "I meant _me_! You, too?"

My eyes bulge. "I would think it'd be obvious." How could she not notice? It's like we have a pet sausage snuggled in between us.

"I'm too shy to look," she admits.

"That's ok. Guys aren't very pretty to look at. You on the other hand are gorgeous." I move from being behind her to being at her side wrapping my arms around her and kissing her. Her neck falls back as I begin to run my hands down her leg lifting it from the water as I go. I elevate her foot and begin to suck and nibble at each toe. Then I kiss her ankle holding her foot in both my hands like it's some kind of precious jewel. When I've gotten as far as her knee, I stop and begin the process with her other leg.

There is not a part of this girl I do not want to kiss and lick.

I come to rest between her legs as she reclines at the tub's edge. I kiss her everywhere and press my body into hers driven to get back inside her. I feel as though I might die if I don't get to experience that sensation of the two of us being one body _right now_.

"Maka, I'm gonna take you to the bed now." Even though I don't phrase it as a question it is. I gaze into her eyes inquiring to make sure it really is ok and in response she reaches her arms out and wraps them around my neck allowing me to carry her to the bed. I gently lay her down. Wet and dripping, I stand in front of her at the foot of the bed saying, "I love you" with my soul. Her look of content has now morphed into one of happiness, and she appears drunk with lust.

I return to kissing her legs, only this time above the knee. The higher I get the more I detect her womanly scent and it turns me on something crazy, driving me to move faster toward her crevice than before. I start licking her upper thigh running my tongue in the crease between her leg and her pelvis and then I plunge into her with my tongue.

She gasps and one of her feet starts to twitch wildly as I pleasure her. I stroke the inside of her with my tongue amazed at how much I enjoy eating her out like this. First, I dive deep penetrating her as much as I can with my long, gentle tongue. Then, I drag my tongue across her clit…I'm assuming that's what that bump is…it's gotta be; whenever I touch it she goes _crazy_. Her legs start moving almost like she's bicycling and her hands reach down to tangle with my hair. Without words she communicates to me what gives her the most pleasure. When my tongue grazes a spot she especially enjoys she'll let me know by holding her hands on my head still as if to stabilize me in my present position.

She's dripping again and I love the taste. I love knowing I get her wet! She starts to wail a little and then a little more and I'd grin with pride were my mouth and tongue not currently occupied. Eventually, she clenches down on my tongue and a series of spasms follow that make every part of her twitch. I wait till the aftershocks stop completely and she is limp and panting before I give one final lick to her pussy and pull my tongue out.

"Maka, you need to quit being so damn hot!"

"What?" she says weakly, her eyes fluttering. "I did nothing. I just got a soda."

"See there's the problem. You don't have to do anything. You could be taking out the trash and it'd turn me on." As I tease her I place my knee in between her thighs, gently shoving them apart.

"Sounds like it's your problem then," she says. "But, if there's something I can do…" She raises her eyebrows a little and smiles like a kid who snuck an extra cookie when no one was looking.

"I'm sure you'll be able to think of some way to help me out," I say as I lean over to French kiss her as I plunge into her with my cock. For a brief moment as I glide into her, she breaks the kiss to inhale deeply but then quickly returns her lips to mine, coiling her tongue inside my mouth. She trembles a little when I'm fully inside her as though I've created tingles throughout her whole body, inside and out. She remains silent as I move in and out of her but her eyes never stray from mine and I can see that they are smiling.

I squeeze her breasts and my lips dance across her neck as I push myself toward orgasm. Occasionally, her breath will catch in her throat as I rub somewhere especially pleasurable to her and when I hear this I try to repeat the same thrust multiple times making her pant in rhythm with my body. It isn't long before I let go, releasing into her, my body turning into jello for the second time today.

I pull out and flop onto my back next to my meister. She snuggles up next to me so that her head is by mine and we just lay there like that for a while before we start talking in hushed tones as though in awe of the things we have done today.

She whispers to me, "Are we ever going to be able to get any work done anymore?"

"I'm not sure." I tell her kissing the top of her head. "Depends on how long you think you can manage to keep your hands off me."

She pretends to back hand me. "You are so damn full of yourself now aren't you?"

"Nope. I think _you're_ full of _me_." I ball up on the bed laughing as she glares at me with disapproval and beats on me, gently, with both fists. "I'm sorry! You totally walked right into that one," I snicker.

"Soul, don't you dare get cocky on me! Just because you…"she pauses looking for the proper terminology. "Make me feel good."

I smirk and whisper to her, "Oh, I make you feel better than good. I can make you scream my name." I wink at her and before I know it she has hit me on the head with her book.

"Maka!" I say suddenly talking in my normal tone and volume as I rub my poor head. Holy hell, when did she grab her book?! I swear sometimes they materialize from thin air.

She grins at me and says, "Don't you dare get too full of yourself because if you do I'll just cut you off. No sex for you…ever again."

I narrow my eyes. "You wouldn't. You've waited just as long as I have for this and you like it too damn much."

She ignores this assessment which means that she knows I'm right, but she continues with her little charade. "Or maybe I'll make you jealous. Find some hunky guy to flirt with…a…ski instructor or something."

I blow a raspberry with my lips. "Ski instructor? Don't they get their pick of chicks? Why would they settle for…"

"You call me 'Tiny Tits' and I will _murder_ you. I'm _not_ kidding, Soul Eater. If you hadn't pulled that whole shit about never wanting to be with an A-cup my live would have been a whole helluva a lot easier."

"I'm sorry," I say truly apologetic. It's a little embarrassing to think how superficial I was and still can be at times. "I didn't give you a complex did I?"

She rolls her eyes and shrugs. "Thankfully, no. I had to deny that I liked you, too."

"I think you called me a 'cretin' and now thanks to your vocab lessons, I even know what it means." I think for a moment and then offer her a deal. "How bout you agree to only bring paperbacks on our expeditions and I will try not to brag _every_ time I make you have a mind blowing orgasm."

Her eyebrows arch. "Try?"

"Ok, I won't say a damn thing about how amazing I am in bed…or wherever we happen to have done it." My mind is flooded with images of all kinds of sexy situations in which we might find ourselves.

"I guess that's fair." She extends her hand to me and we shake on it.

I glance at the clock. It's getting late, but since we've both napped we can burn the midnight oil some. "I gotta go move our laundry into the dryer. When I get back let's talk about our plan for tomorrow's Falcon hunting."

She smiles widely. "Sounds good. Can you grab some ice, too? I'm awful hot."

"Yes, you are, meister," I reply as I step into the bathroom to clean myself up a bit and toss on my boxers and pants.

"I'll be right back," I holler over my shoulder as I head out with the room key.


	33. Chapter 33: An Odd Situation

_Chapter 33: An Odd Situation; Shakespeare's Plays Rewritten?_

I'm still wearing a huge grin as I head down the stairs to the laundry room to move our clothes to the dryer. I'm feeling _great!_ My awesome partner, best friend, and roommate is now also my awesomely hot girlfriend who seems equally eager to get physical as I do and for once I feel relaxed. I swear as soon as the guys see me they are going to notice. I mean I act laid back, but I can be pretty amped up sometimes and now, Death, I don't know what someone would have to do to piss me off.

I flick on the light in the laundry room and open up the lid on the washer and pull out one of my t-shirts cautiously giving it a sniff. Aw! Much better! Demon guts smell worse than Black*Star's gym socks. I'm sure both Maka and I will feel a lot more human tomorrow having gotten to wash our hair and put on some clean clothes. I open the dryer door and start flinging our laundry in handful by handful. Oh, there goes a pair of Maka's panties…don't look! Oops, couldn't help it. I'm sure I'll see them all soon enough. Oh, Shinigami, I am happy!

I can't believe I lost my virginity and it was so good! Over the years I've heard that it's wise not to have super high expectations of your 'first time.' I've had a few adults over the years tell me that it would probably suck because you're nervous and often doing it with someone else who has zilch in the experience department, too. In fact, once in front of the entire Crescent Moon class, Professor Stein let something to this effect slip out before turning his back on us to face the chalkboard, mumbling that it gets better, but that we were way too young and to keep it in our pants. How in the hell did we get on that topic while in class? I can't even remember. Maybe Black*Star was bragging about his ginormous dick again…it happens far too often even when class is in session. God, it's amazing Tsubaki didn't kick him to the curb long before this…or maybe it had something to do with Marie and how jealous she was of Medusa? Maybe that was it. The professor is a weird one. How do you go from flirting with a queen of seduction to Marie?! I would never have guessed that she'd be his type in a million years.

I guess opposites really do attract. I mean, when I first told people I wasn't into my meister I wasn't _consciously_ lying about it, not _at first_ anyway…it just took me a while to realize what really matters and once I figured it out, an A-cup was suddenly the sexiest tit size on the planet.

I reach into my pocket to grab some quarters to put in the coin-operated machine and discover I'm one short. Damn, I gotta get change. I look around and see that there is no change machine in the laundry room, but there is a neatly framed sign hanging up stating that the front desk is happy to provide it for guests. I head out the door and down the hall toward the lobby. It's late in the evening so there isn't much activity, but there are a few people wandering around perhaps returning to their rooms after a night out or going to take a late night dip in the pool.

As I get closer to the main lobby I hear shouting. It sounds like someone is chewing out the front desk and it sounds like the dude who checked us in earlier today is still on duty. Why would someone be yelling at him? He seemed cool to me. If he was the kind of judgmental asshole a lot of places hire he would have thrown me out the door as soon as he saw me. Curious, I creep the rest of the way down the hallway to see what's up, trying not to draw attention to myself.

A tall person with long tresses of reddish-brown hair stands with his back toward me. From his stature and his low voice it must be a man or the huskiest woman I've ever seen. He appears to be alone.

"I have information that they are _here_ in your hotel!" The tall man shouts.

The hotel employee appears frazzled but seems to be holding firm on whatever the man is bickering with him about.

I dart over to one of the lounge chairs in the lobby grabbing a newspaper that is laying on a nearby end table as I go. I open the newspaper and try to blend in with the other hotel guests that are coming and going from the lobby.

"Sir, I'm sorry, but I _can't_ help you," says the man behind the counter. "As a hospitality company we do not release the names or personal information of any of our guests. We are a _retreat_; a place of rest and relaxation and our guests are entitled to the _utmost_ in privacy, regardless of their age."

"Even in matters such as this?" booms the voice of the tall man. "You have a runaway girl here who could be violated at any moment and you intend to just stand by and do nothing?"

"Sir, are you the girl's father?" the front desk man asks gently, appearing to try a more compassionate approach with the belligerent customer.

"No. I am not. I am a private investigator hired by her father to track her down. We've followed her here all the way from Nevada where she attends school at an elite academy."

I gulp. That's weird that could describe Maka…except that she is, of course, not a runaway. It must be a coincidence. Wait…would Spirit have somehow got into his head that we need to be tailed? Would he really go that far to discover what Maka and I do together behind closed doors? What an asshole! I've always thought Maka is a little too hard on her dad. He's just a dude with an overactive libido and zero standards who never should have gotten married. But if he did this he has declared _war_. Now that Maka and I are together, I will not allow him to give us any shit. _**She's mine**__ and that's final._

"I'm sorry, sir," the hotel employee states. "Unless you show me a police badge I'm not telling you anything."

"You do realize that you may be found negligent should any harm befall her while at your establishment?"

"Are you threatening Wintermore?" asks the man behind the counter. "Because you can't intimidate me. I've worked in the hospitality industry for over fifteen years and I know the rights and responsibilities of our corporation. Now please leave. You are welcome to return in the company of a law enforcement officer."

An old guy who has been sitting by the fire stands up and approaches the front desk. I recognize him from earlier, I think he was in line behind me when I checked in or maybe I ran into him in the men's room or something.

"Sir," the old man begins. "Did I hear you are looking for a couple runaways? Perhaps you would be more successful being respectful of the staff here. You're causing quite a scene. Now, what'd you say the girl looks like?"

"She's got green eyes and hair the color of ash that she usually wears in ponytails. She appears to have run away with another youth, a male with white hair and red eyes."

_**Fuck! **_ They are talking about me and Maka. I've gotta call Lord Death right now, but I better do it in private… and if no one's going to tell them which room we are in I may as well stick around a minute or two longer to see if I can pick up any other info.

The old man rubs his beard thoughtfully, "And you say this boy is…?"

"Bad news. We believe he lured her here to have sex."

I roll my eyes. Yes, I _lured _my meister all the way to central Oregon because having sex in the apartment we _live in together_ in Nevada would be far too convenient. Maka and I will get Spirit's status as a Deathscythe revoked for this. You can't fuck with us while we're on a mission doing Lord Death's will. Not cool!

"Were you never young and in love?" the old man asks. "Why I remember this one girl before I entered the service-"

"If you know something I suggest you spill it as we believe the 'young' man is lying about his age and we have grounds to prosecute on charges of kidnapping and potentially statutory rape."

What is going on! I'm no _rapist_ and _we're on a mission_!

"Oh, well that changes things…" murmurs the old guy.

"Obviously," the man with the long hair says smugly.

"Well, if the employees can't tell you, I will. I never saw the girl, but I _did_ see a young man that sounds like the one you are looking for. He rented a bridal suite for the night."

Oh, _fuck you_, Old Guy! What happened to being in love? Why the fuck are you selling me and my meister out?

"Thank you. Your assistance has been most helpful. I'll be happy to handle this from here," the tall man says as he turns and for the first time I can get a good look at his profile and my brain registers a large long nose that has a distinctive hook shape to it.

Oh, I am _so_ stupid! All that crap was all a bunch of BS! He's not here because Spirit hired him. We're getting ambushed! That's Falconer! _**He**__ found __**us**__!_

Falconer turns and heads out the front doors of the hotel and I drop the newspaper and run to the stairs. I think the old guy may have noticed but I don't care. I gotta get back to my meister. We have mere seconds to make some tough decisions and a lot is running through my head, because if Falconer came after us that may mean he knew we had been assigned to take his soul, but how would he know that unless there is a spy in the DWMA's inner circle…

I get to the fourth floor and slide my key card and run into the room. Putting the additional room lock on the door. Maka has put her nightgown back on and is busying herself gathering maps and setting them on the table we ate our dinner on.

"I found Falconer! Get dressed!" I shout.

"Where?" Maka asks as she scrambles to find her pair of pants to pull on under her nightgown.

"In the lobby. He's come to us. We've gotta get outta here," I walk over to the balcony door that serves as the room's only window and peer around the drapes. As I suspected, Falconer is not alone…I see four demon goons outside made visible by streetlamps, but I can only speculate how many more are lurking in the shadows. He must have headed outside to let them know he was closing in on us. "Well, Maka, we've hit the big time! They're coming to us now," I say with an especially toothy grin as I begin to calculate how best to deal with this unexpected situation.

"Soul, you aren't thinking of tossing me out that window are you? Soul?" Damn, I hate it when she knows what I'm thinking before I'm ready for her to. It's really annoying, because, yes, I am thinking about leaving by way of the balcony, but it's not like I'm going to fling her off it like she's a handful of confetti or something. "Course not! We're four stories up! I'd never do that. I was just counting demons. I see four, but I think there are probably more…it's too hard to tell," I tell her as I grab the hat and gloves she bought for me earlier.

"We need to lure him away from the hotel," she says sadly. I know what she's thinking; DWMA students don't run, especially Meister Maka and Soul Eater. We have a reputation for being bold, fearless, and at times horrifically careless. We've never backed down from a fight even when our defeat seemed inevitable, but our instinct is telling us we can't confront Falconer here.

I nod. "Right. We can't do what we need to do here." I try to reassure her that running at this point is the right choice. "We find a better spot to fight- outside and away from other people."

"You think we can do this with just the two of us?" Her eyes are searching mine for reassurance. She can feel my nervousness.

"Oh, yeah. No prob," I pull my hands from my pockets and clap them together. "I'm jazzed to go get me- oh, crap, I can't eat these fuckers either- Damn it!"

"You mean they're little ones, too?"

"Yeah, at least the ones I see are, other than Falconer, of course."

"So there is a connection between those deformed demons and Avian Flu…"

"There must be. I can't imagine there could be that many demon midgets wandering around on their own."

"Hhhhmmmm," she says deep in thought.

I grab my bag and fish around in it and pull out a length of rope.

"What are you doing?" she asks me.

"They're moving into position to cover the hotel exits. So we'll make our own."

Her eyes narrow with suspicion, "Do you always have a huge rope in your bag?"

I shrug. "We were camping. Rope is handy. Never know when I might need to take a captive." I waggle my eyebrows at her and she rolls her eyes.

"Be serious. We're _working_ now."

"That's no reason to cut out your sense of humor," I scold as I slide open the door to the balcony and bend over tying the rope to the balcony railing as I tell her the plan. "I'll go first then you follow. The snow drift will break our fall."

She follows me and looks down at the drop. "You sure we can't take the stairs?"

I pause. "You're the boss." We turn to head toward the hall but we hear an ominous pounding. It isn't on our door but it's close, probably right next door. "Maka and Soul. I know you're in there. Come out now!"

"Falconer!" Maka mouths the name to me and I nod. She points back to the rope. Now that she sees it as our only option her anxiety has evaporated and she is ready to do whatever it takes for us to achieve our goal and maybe like me she fears that if Falconer went to all the trouble to track us down he may have a more sinister plan in mind than simply dueling.

I start scrambling down the rope. Once I'm at the end, a little more than two stories down, I throw myself backward praying that I will land on the snow drift like I planned. Lord Death's spirit must be with me today as I land on the snowbank and am able to hop right up ready to break Maka's fall if needed. She shimmies down the rope easily enough until she is hanging outside the room that is directly below our suite. Something attracts the attention of the room's occupants and a woman runs out to the balcony pointing and screaming at my meister like some kind of ninny.

"Oh, my God! What are you doing?!" The woman screams. Maka tries to ignore her, but the woman is screaming her head off shouting for her moronic husband to come because she is 'under attack.' Really, lady?! So much for us making a quiet getaway.

"Hey, lady. Shut the fuck up!" I shout at her from the ground as Maka lets go of the rope. As she falls I see that it looks like Maka misjudged the distance a little and I run to where I think she's going to land. I catch her and fall backward whacking the back of my head on the root of a nearby pine tree. Fortunately, it isn't super bad and more importantly Maka appears to be unhurt.

Maka stands up and brushes herself off and instructs me to transform. Not wanting to argue, I do so and she carries me at her side as she runs like hell to where Brunnie is parked.

"Stupid fuckers didn't stake out the motorcycle," I rejoice. "We're lucky they're dumb."

They may be stupid about some things, but they obviously aren't completely inept because they are already in pursuit of us. We can hear the flapping of wings and we aren't even on the bike before egg bombs start dropping. Maka hops on the bike and I switch back into human form revving Brunnie's engine.

"Ready?" I ask Maka.

"Yes," Maka says as she wraps he arms around me in her usual fashion, but when her arms touch me she squeals. "Soul, you're gonna freeze!" It's just dawned on her that I don't have a shirt on and I've been lying down in snow. I am feeling like an icicle what with the clumps of snow hanging onto my belt.

"I'll be fine," I tell her, hoping that the adrenaline rush will keep me from turning blue.

"Do you want my sweatshirt?" she asks as she busies her hands brushing snow off of me.

"Naw, keep it. Just hold me tight. I'll be ok. I've got my hat and gloves and I'll be in weapon form soon enough, anyway."

"I guess…I just wish I'd thought to grab a bathrobe for you…" She says with regret and I can tell she's scolding herself for not paying more attention to me.

"Don't worry about it. Just concentrate on Falconer and decide on a plan of attack. I'm gonna try and find someplace for us to fight him."

Despite the late hour, there is an eerie glowing quality to the night due to the reflection of moonlight off the snow. I try to get to a part of the road that has been shoveled, but the going is still rather treacherous. We won't be able to run far or particularly fast but that's ok. All we need is to find a more appropriate spot to fight than in the middle of a resort hotel filled with innocent bystanders. There was no way we could have a fair fight there against Falconer as we would be concerned about collateral damage and he has already proven himself to have no consideration for human life.

"Soul! Watch out! There's two at 3 o'clock. Above us in the tree."

"Got it!" I have to zig-zag to avoid whatever it is they feel the need to throw or spit at us. One thing splats on the ground in front of us that looks like a gigantic bird dropping. _Lovely! _Demons always have such repulsive attacks.

"Shinigami, there's a lot of them! He fears you so much he brought an army with him," I say beaming with pride at my meister's notoriety. She really is something.

She leans forward and squeezes me tighter. "It's _us_ he fears not _me_," she says kissing my neck. The warmth of her kiss radiates out to melt the snow that was still clinging to me.

"What can I say? We're an awesome team," I say as I reach out for her soul trying to settle the butterflies I know she has about this battle.

In between dodging snow drifts and getting shot at I hear the sound of something else. Something mechanized…maybe a horseless carriage or some kind of motorcycle coming up fast behind us.

I look in the rearview and see that it is another motorcycle. Aw, shit, Falconer's got a motorcycle, too, one with a sidecar? Damn it all to hell, so much for getting a lead.

"Maka, watch out Falconer's behind us."

"I see him. He's got a chainsaw! And his sidekick looks kind of like a Woodpecker except with huge feet. A roadrunner maybe?" An egg bomb blasts behind us.

"Falconer's got what?" I shout over the sounds of more blasts around us.

"A chainsaw."

I can't possibly fathom why a birdperson would equip themselves with a chainsaw, but whatever. It figures that he would be equipped with one of the only things that actually scares me. I've been nervous around power tools ever since I got clumsy with an electric saw at my grandmother's when I was a kid.

"You think that clearing coming up on the left?" I ask, seeking permission to pull off the road.

"Yeah, that's good- let's position ourselves with that drift at our back."

I park Brunnie by a clump of fir trees and we dismount. One of the flyers swoops overhead dropping a couple egg bombs. One falls so close to me that I have to leap to the side and switch into weapon form to evade it.

"You ok?" Maka says as she runs over and picks me up.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Don't worry about me. Just get out there. He'll be here any second." She dashes to the spot we've determined places her at a strategic advantage.

"Ok, Maka. We can take this guy down."

"Right. Let's get him first, and then the others. He'll be expecting us to go after his minions first."

"Sounds good. Here he is."

Falconer tromps onto the field in a modified duck walk that is so ridiculous I start laughing and Maka hushes me.

"Ah!" Falconer exclaims in an extremely loud voice. "I finally get to meet the DWMA's own Romeo and Juliet. I'm _so sorry_ to have interrupted your holiday."

"You could have met us sooner had you had the _guts_ to come to Death City yourself instead of simply ordering the attack and standing back." Maka's disgust is evident as she spits each word at him. We are both very emotional about obtaining this soul. The terror of hearing screams amidst the smoke and seeing our school and our city crumbling around us is very fresh in our minds. I remember my panic seeing Black*Star and Kid without her and thinking the worst. What Avian Flu did was no small thing. They attacked the DWMA and Lord Death's city. For that they will not be forgiven.

Maka shouts at him. "And don't call us Romeo and Juliet. I'd think you'd know that this is _Macbeth_."

"Um, Maka, doesn't everybody die at the end of _Macbeth_?" I ask concerned. My scythe eye twisting and bulging as I talk to her.

"_Not everyone_, you're thinking of Hamlet. Only Macbeth's family who are driven by ambition perish. Besides, Romeo and Juliet barely knew each other. They met and immediately got married just so they could screw. That's not like us at all."

"Meister," my eye wide with irritation. "Let's discuss the bard's plotlines and whether Romeo and Juliet were actually in love or just horny later, ok?"

"Right."

"You two are infinitely amusing," Falconer says. "Too bad your goofy little romance is about to come to an end."

"Nothing is going to end us. You, on the other hand, are about to have your soul ripped from your body."

Falconer chuckles, "So, the rumors are true. You've picked up some of your weapon's cocky attitude."

"It isn't cocky to acknowledge the truth. I _will_ be taking your soul."

Falconer grins. "I'm not so sure. A scythe against a chainsaw? I suspect your Soul will suffer." I don't know how but I can tell he means me, but I'm not afraid. We hear this kind of bullshit from demons all the time.

"We're partners. We are prepared to die for one another or for any of our comrades. We are empowered by Lord Death's bidding. Prepare to die."

"Perhaps, you had best rethink your strategy. I would _hate_ for you to lose your life out of loyalty to someone who betrayed your beloved school because Avian Flu has operatives stationed at the DWMA. They watch your every move and report back to us. Your strengths, your weaknesses, your passions, your loves."

Maka and I growl. How dare he insinuate that our school contains a traitor!

"No one at the DWMA would ever work with you!"

"Oh, are you so sure? What about Hiro? No one knows why he was where he was when that pillar fell. And then there's Crona AWOL for such a long time…and never truly cleansed of all her previous sins."

"Crona prefers to be referred to by _male_ pronouns. _He_ is my friend." Maka yells.

"Oh, I'm sorry I forget that not everyone has the personal experience to know firsthand that Crona is female," he touches his groin in a very calculated way and Maka and I's wavelengths go berserk. "But it's hard to regard someone you've been with as the other sex."

"Maka, he's bluffing. This guy's a liar. Don't believe anything he says. He's just trying to make us lose our cool so we do something stupid," I tell her and she nods.

"Falconer," she says in the commanding tone she has when taking on a demon. "I have come to take your soul as punishment for the harm you caused the people of Death City. Do you wish to beg for forgiveness before we kill you?"

He laughs.

"Your time is up," she says charging toward him as she shouts to me, "Soul Resonance". I immediately feel the familiar sensation of being dropped into a wind tunnel and stripped of everything but my soul which will interlink with her's like two pieces of a jigsaw puzzle, but along with the familiar there is that weird heat again. It's unsettling.

"Maka?" I ask. At times when our souls developed incompatability Maka couldn't pick me up in weapon form. Her hands would get seared as though my metal had been newly forged by a blacksmith and still red hot, but she's holding me just fine right now and our souls feel even more compatible than usual.

"I don't know what it is, but I'm fine," she assures me.

"Good!" At least I'm not going to die of hypothermia mid-battle.

Falconer steps aside amazingly fast for a guy who goosesteps. I graze him with the side of my blade, but it's not much.

Two flying demons are doing aerial acrobatics above us and I suspect biding their time for the perfect opportunity to clobber us with droppings or bombs.

Maka turns to face Falconer.

"I cannot believe that Lord Death sent a child after me. He must be desperate."

"If you were so confident you wouldn't have brought all these other demons with you."

"Oh, I have my reasons. I always have my reasons for what I do, as do all members of Avian Flu. We have calculated how best to bring the world to order."

"Order? Is that what you brought to DC? That's a funny way to describe attempted kidnapping, bombing, and destruction."

Falconer's face curves into what I guess must be the Avian Flu equivalent to smiling. "Well, you should know how it is; one must embrace pain before they can move on. We started you on the journey to a new system of the role of weapons and meisters in this world of ours. One that will transcend the reaper's power and make each of us into gods."

"He sounds like Black*Star," I scoff.

"Yup, just as stupid."

"Witch Hunter."

I assume my form that transcends the realms and she charges forward swinging me. My blade is blocked by his chainsaw and its grinding teeth cause me to bleed. Maka jumps backward taking me with her as he charges forward with the chainsaw. "Treacherous Teeth!" he yells as he comes at us full speed with the chainsaw madly going around and around. I block it with the wide part of my scythe blade, but his weapon skids off me and rams into her belly tangling with her sweatshirt. I partially transform hitting his face with the hardest punch I can manage. It sends him stumbling backward, probably more because he was startled than because the hit actually hurt. I look at Maka, the wound doesn't seem to have penetrated all the layers of her skin, but it's a big gash and she's bleeding a lot from it.

Falconer sees the blood and stops attacking. "Meister Maka, I did not come to kill you. I came to liberate you." Falconer snaps his fingers and a mob of demons appears on the edge of the field.

"Witch Hunter!" she yells again as several birds from the air swoop down and clasps her shoulders with their talons. They manage to lift her off the ground and as they do Falconer smiles.

"Now, destroy her weapon!" he shouts as they lift Maka and me higher into the night sky. Maka kicks and swings her legs at the demons setting upon her to try to grab me. Her thrashing is so intense that the birds start losing their grasp on her. But one hardy bird clings to her so that she is hanging in the air by three of the bird's claws that it has embedded in her flesh. I transform in Maka's arms and pull my pocketknife out of my pocket and stab it into the bird's leg with as much force as I can and it does the trick. It lets go of Maka with a yowl and we start falling back toward the earth high above the battlefield.

"Witch Hunter!" She yells. As we fall she swings me and my blade finds Falconer's chest and as we split him in two, he says to me, "Soul Eater, beware that you are destined to lose that which you most value to the Avian Flu." And with that his material body vanishes leaving only his warped soul floating in midair where he had formerly stood.

Maka's head whirls wildly to the skies. We are now in shadow. There are more birds than I can count. One dives down and Maka waves me to try to fight it off and I see a moment too late that another one has come up to her and it rams it's bill into her arm. As if its head were controlled by a spring its head snaps back and forth hammering its beak into her flesh. She lets out a wail of pain and I transform into human form and attempt to stab the woodpecker with my scythe arm, but it zips away like a hummingbird and then we are alone.

"Where'd all the demons go?"

Maka shakes her head. "They're gone. It's like they've vanished."

"So, we're safe?" I ask surveying the scene.

She shakes her head. I pick up Falconer's soul and sniff it and decide to take a chance and swallow it.

"Come on, meister. We need to fix up your arm…and your belly…and your shoulders….

She stands up and smiles. "You take such good care of me."

"You may not feel that way when I flush those wounds out. It's probably gonna hurt like a bastard."

We are battered and bruised, but still alive and that would give us cause to celebrate were we not so worried that at any moment the birds will return and set upon us once again.

We walk back to Brunnie to find her drilled with holes in all her major parts. Falconer's team has destroyed her and taken his bike leaving us with no way to travel but by foot. I sniffle and fight back tears as I pull items off her that are important. As a memento of our time together, I take the tassels that have hung from her handlebars for as long as we've had her. Maka puts her arm around me. "Come on Soul, we need to go get you a sweater."

I nod and we trek back to the hotel on foot. As we approach the resort we see a lot of people out front mostly in their pajamas and bath robes along with a vehicle belonging to a fire brigade and a number of fire fighters. A cloud of smoke hangs over Wintermore.

"What's going on?" I ask a hotel guest who is standing out front.

"There's a fire. It started upstairs and spread quickly through the building. Rumor has it that a couple teenagers made some kind of suicide pact and set the building on fire."

Maka and I take a moment to stare at the building. It's as though Falconer had tried to rid us of our old life. What had he been planning? I turn around. There is no use in staying here. Our equipment is destroyed, our clothes are gone, and there will be nothing but questions from the police and hotel staff if we stay, questions they wouldn't believe the answers to if we told them.

"Well, Meister. What now?"

"We head back to the train station and get back to DC as quickly as we can. Something very odd is going on."

Yes, Maka, I agree. There is something very unsettling going on here.


	34. Chapter 34: Soul of the Doctor

Chapter 34: Soul of the Doctor; Baby, It's Cold Outside?

It is the middle of the night, it's started snowing, Maka and I are bleeding from multiple wounds, and we are standing outside of the resort hotel we are supposed to be staying in watching as flames engulf it while a handful of firefighters battle to squelch the fire.

Maka lets out a little sigh, "I guess we should just head to the train station." I nod. At this point it is probably the only place open in town other than a bar or two and we are in no condition to be outside in the elements. As we walk away from the Wintermore Resort Maka seems a little forlorn.

"Somethin' wrong?" I ask her knowing that if it's due to pain from her injuries she will be too proud to tell me how much it hurts.

"Oh, nothing really. I'm just sad because I left my book at the hotel."

I laugh. "Well, that's makes me feel better because I was just thinking I'm pissed cause my Skeletoxin t-shirt was in there."

"We can buy you a new one."

"Not that one. It was a limited edition when he had the crossover with the Steel Samurai."

"That sucks," she says.

I shrug. "At least we can buy you a replacement book."

"Yeah, and I suppose it doesn't really matter because I'm so tired I'll probably sleep most of the ride home tomorrow."

"Me, too. Maybe we can get a private car so we can both get some rest."

"I don't think we should push our luck when you already sprung for the Bridal Suite."

I stop walking.

"Yes, I knew," she says matter-of-factly. "I'm not stupid."

"Sorry, I lied. I was afraid you'd make me follow the rules…and I wanted…"

"Naw, I think it was really sweet and those chocolate strawberries were amazing." She stops walking for a moment. "Soul, I love you," she says and she starts to hug me but as soon as she goes to lift her left arm she lets out a kind of howl.

"Don't worry, we'll get you fixed up. I think we're almost to the train station."

"You know there is one other thing that I'm sad about…"

"That all those other demons vanished before we could vanquish them from this earth?"

She smiles. "Ok, make that two other things. You promise not to laugh?" I consider this. I'm not good at controlling my laughter especially when Maka says or does something goofy. "Oh, nevermind."

"No, wait, that's not cool! Tell me."

"Well, I was kind of hoping that could be our place…you know, like we could come back some day just the two of us…"

"You mean like an anniversary?"

"Something like that, yeah," she says yawning.

"I'm sure they'll rebuild it."

"Maybe," she says sadly. "You can go ahead and tell me it's silly."

"I don't think it's silly."

She flattens her lips and narrows her eyes as though I've done something wrong.

"I'm serious. I don't think it's silly at all. We had a very special…," I count in my head, "seven or eight hours there…which reminds me, after we get cleaned up let's call Lord Death and let him know the news. We need to be celebrating not moping."

She nods and I could swear her head sags a little.

"You sure you're feeling ok, meister?"

"Yeah! Quit asking me! I'm not some fragile princess! I can take a beating."

"I know, but…oh, nevermind."

When we arrived at the train station earlier in the day I was too focused on finding us a room for the night to admire how gorgeous a place it was, but now with our goal accomplished I notice the beauty of the place both inside and out. The interior has a marble floor, an art deco style clock set in the dead center of the depot, and polished wooden benches that resemble church pews. It's a small place, but it has everything a train station should: a telegraph office, a TV playing day and night, and, after wandering around a bit, the thing we were hoping to find…one of those 'family' bathrooms that has room for a parent and kids or a special needs person and their caretaker or, as in this case, a meister and weapon looking for a place to crash for the night after cleaning their wounds. Kid is the one that turned me and Maka onto using family bathrooms as a make-shift hospital ward after Patti and Liz found it much easier than splitting up from Kid to go into separate men's and women's restrooms when in a public place.

Maka goes in first and then after a couple minutes I follow her in, locking the door behind us. I scan the space that will serve as our hospital ward and bedroom for the night. There's a chair, a toilet, a sink, a baby changing table that flips down from the wall, a big mirror, and a trash can. Yup, this will do. Here we can both get some rest after cleaning up our wounds.

I toss off my backpack and dig out the first aid kit, which thankfully was on us at the time of the fire. Maka insists on dressing my wounds first and when she's done she takes off her torn and bloody sweatshirt and hands it to me to put on for the time being.

"Thanks. Now your turn, Meister Maka. Doctor Soul is here to check you out. Let's see whatcha got here."

She pulls off her nightgown and throws it in the trash can and removes her bra since the strap on one side got ripped. Back in the old days she would have just dropped the straps, but now there isn't much point in maintaining propriety…it's just me after all and she seems more preoccupied with being comfortable than with anything else right now.

The abrasion made by the chainsaw is not pretty. The skin around the punctures along her collar bone have already gotten red and inflamed, but it is the holes on her left arm from the woodpecker attack that concern me. They are each about the size of a dime and appear to go all the way down to the bone and I'm pretty sure that the attack they used on her was the same attack they used to drill holes in Brunnie's chassis, which means that Maka's arm got drilled by something that could penetrate steel. With that amount of force her arm might even be fractured.

"Where do you want me to start?" I ask after surveying the wounds. I decide not to mention my fears about the arm, because there's really no point. It won't be until we are in DC that we will have the ability to do more than clean and bandage it anyhow. Hopefully, I'm just being a worrywart because it's my meister and I don't like to see her hurt.

She sighs, "Let's flush out these damn talon marks so I can lie down while we work on my arm and abdomen." She seats herself on the floor and I get to work. I pull from the first aid kit a little plastic disc that pops up into a bowl. I fill it with warm water from the sink and add a few drops of antiseptic to the water to create a solution specially designed for cleaning wounds. I open a sterile package that has a needleless syringe with a curved tip and draw up the solution into it. Finally, I grab a handful of paper towels.

"Ok, Maka, now remember you've gotta be quiet. I don't want them hearing us in here." The station is empty except for a few employees and I'm hoping that they don't become suspicious that anything is up as I fully intend for both of us to sleep in here.

"Yeah. I'll be fine."

I slide the syringe into one of the tears made by a talon and flush. She grits her teeth, but says nothing. Then using my hands I press the skin to make sure all the solution comes back out again. We repeat the process with every hole that is full thickness. There are eight that are true puncture wounds and a bunch of bad scratches from when the birds were fighting to either get a hold of her or stay ahold.

From one of the wounds I flush out some gunk that look like parts of a pine needle or pine cone. That's what we're trying to do…get out any debris and flush away germs. Satisfied that I've done my job well, I dump the bowl's contents and make a solution of just saline and flush each puncture one last time.

"Well, those are done," I tell her and then I realize she seems to have fallen asleep. I know she's tired but how could she sleep while having her wounds flushed? She must be more exhausted than I thought. I take my hands and lay her down on her back. I slide her backpack under her head to act as a pillow and start cleaning her abdomen.

The abdominal wound is right where Professor Stein threatened to cut her open when he was under the influence of the madness. That time I had been successful in protecting her, this time I didn't do so great, but we accept that we're gonna get beat up.

To clean it I put on gloves and pat it with sterile gauze drenched in the antiseptic solution. I use the needleless syringe to blast off some debris, mostly threads from her sweatshirt and a few feather bits. Maka doesn't stir during any of this. When I'm done I pull out the largest gauze pad we have and set it on it.

"Meister, you need to wake up. I gotta wrap it now," I whisper.

Her eyes flutter open and she smiles at me and then looks alarmed to see me in medical gloves. "What are you?!" Then looking down at herself the memories seem to come back and she sits up and helps me wrap the gauze around her midsection.

"Ugh. It's the scratchy kind."

"Yeah, I know. Lord Death's getting cheap again. As soon as we can we should buy some of the other kind so it's not so itchy."

She nods. "Soul, thank you."

"No problem," I say once again dumping the bowl's contents into the sink.

"No, I really mean it. I couldn't do this without you." Her eyes are filling with tears and I rush to her side.

"Maka, it's ok. I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere." I'm not sure what has brought on this sudden bout of fear, but it's been a real rollercoaster of a day and I know I have trouble dealing with stuff on days like that.

"I just got so scared when they tried to take you from me." She flings her arms around me and hugs me, but that puts her belly wrap in contact with me so she has to deeply inhale or the pressure makes it hurt. I quickly release her not wanting to make her painful.

"Don't worry. I'm not going anywhere. I promise…and Falconer's dead." I throw my still gloved hands up in the air like I'm cheering at a basketball game. "Yahhhh!"

She smiles and shakes her head, "You're being unusually goofy."

I'm not sure how to take that. "Well, maybe that's what sex does to me. Hopefully, you like it."

"I don't mind it."

"Good. Now let's get your arm taken care of cause I wanna sleep."

She smiles. "Great!" I lift up her left arm and I swear I see a purple haze around the wound. My eyes flick to Maka's. Did she see it, too, or was it a trick of the fluorescent lighting in here? I kneel beside her and look at the wound. I swear it looks worse than it did even a few minutes ago. Maybe I should have started with this one…

"Does it hurt?" I ask her.

She nods and yawns. "Not as bad as you might think, though. It looks worse than it is…you mind if I lay back down?"

"Yeah, go ahead. You want your sweatshirt back? It might be more comfortable than the backpack as a pillow."

"No. I'm ok. Thanks, Soooouuulll…" and with that she is already asleep again. That's weird. I've only seen her this drowsy once. I think she had taken some kind of medicine that made her tired or something, I can't really remember.

I prepare to use the same method of cleaning on this wound, but with a fresh syringe. As soon as I flush liquid into the wound it bubbles up and froths as though I used Hydrogen Peroxide. I check the bottle to make sure I didn't accidentally grab the wrong thing, but it's the exact same shit I used on the other wounds. I feel heat radiating from the wound though I'm not sure how much of it is from the chemical reaction taking place and how much is from inflammation. And still my meister sleeps. She's even snoring.

Ok, I'm starting to get freaked out here. Maka doesn't normally snore and she tends to be a light sleeper. I feel a nagging in my heart. This isn't right.

"Maka, I'm gonna call Lord Death now. You wanna tell him about our victory?" I say loudly, but she doesn't wake up. Hhhhhmmmm. I walk over to the mirror above the sink and fog it up with my breathe and write the numbers '42-42-564'.

"Hello, Soul Eater!" Lord Death greets me in his usual chipper attitude though he is wearing what looks like a long nightcap. I kind of forgot it was the middle of the night. I must have woke him up. Crap, good one, Soul.

"Sorry, to wake you, sir."

"No worries. I am always here for you. How goes the battle?"

"Good. We were able to locate Falconer and we got his soul, but we weren't able to kill any of his team. He had a lot of demons with him, but they vanished shortly after his death."

"That's alright, it sounds like you've done _very well_." He says and I _think_ he's beaming under the mask, but then again how the hell would I know that? "I am most _impressed_! But where is Meister Maka?"

"She's sleeping." I say unsure whether or not to voice my suspicions. Maybe I am just freaking out because I care so much about her. Black*Star once argued with me saying that I would go to pieces over Maka getting a papercut. I punched him in the face for that one. _Hard._

"Soul, is something wrong?" Lord Death inquires.

"I'm not really sure. Her arm's been badly injured and I think there might be some kind of enchantment on the wound. When I go to flush it, it bubbles up and I thought I saw a purple mist around it…maybe I'm just being crazy…but she's really tired…"

"Hhhhhmmm. Well, Soul, I know I can trust you to do all you can for her, so do your best and if she hasn't improved by the time you get home bring her right to the dispensary."

"Thanks." For some reason it's kind of embarrassing to hear Lord Death say that kind of stuff. It's the kind of thing a person says to their son-in-law or something, but then again maybe I should enjoy it since Spirit will _never_ say anything like that to me.

"Sounds good. We'll be catching the first train out of here in the morning."

"Congratulate Maka for me."

"I will."

And then he is gone. I give up on cleaning the wound, but wrap it with gauze and then I lie down beside Maka and go to sleep.

Someone jiggles the door handle of the bathroom and walks away. I'm not sure how long I've been asleep. I glance at my watch. It's now about five thirty in the morning. I should go buy our tickets home.

As I stand up Maka sits up, a drowsy expression on her face. "Soul, where are you going, baby?"

Baby? I don't think she's ever called me that before…that's odd. She reaches out and grabs my hand.

"I'm gonna go get our tickets. I'll be right back."

"Don't leave me…come lay back down with me."

"But…" Oh, well. If she wants to snuggle I guess that's ok. We probably have time.

I sit down beside her and her lips immediately find the sensitive flesh of my neck. She licks me and then bites down aggressively.

"Wow! Maka, is that what it feels like when I bite you? 'Cause that kinda hurts…" I comment nervously.

"Take your clothes off!"

My eyes get wide. I thought only guys woke up this horny. I grin. "OK, Maka, I'll go get the tickets and I'll be right back, Ok?"

"No!" she screams and I clamp my hand across her face.

"Maka, don't do that. They'll get suspicious and think I drug you in here to rape you or something." Then I grin at her. "It'd be super awesome if we could go twenty-four hours without someone accusing me of raping you."

I head to the door. "I'll be right back. I just want to make sure we get the first train outta here. Ok?"

She stands up. "I want you _now_," she commands. I'm torn…sex…or tickets home….sex…or…sex.

I slowly pull off my shirt and I watch her. She's acting a little odd, but it's been a hard night so…

She leaps upon me, unbuttoning my fly and unzipping my pants. "Oh, Shinigami, how I want you!" She reaches down and grabs me and her touch is anything but gentle. It's rough and not in a very sexy way.

"Maka, could you-"

She slaps me across the face. "Shut up and fuck me!"

I struggle to get away from her. I'm not sure what's going on, but this isn't Maka talking.

"Meister…"

"Why aren't you giving me what I want, Soul? You're here to serve me!"

"No, I'm not. I'm_ not_ your slave and you're _not_ acting…normal."

"What do you mean?" she says suddenly extending herself to her full height and somehow I feel like she's towering over me even though I'm taller than her.

"I mean, you aren't acting loving and caring, like you are. Do you _feel_ ok?"

"I feel great…I feel…fine…" and then just as suddenly as this little episode came on, she starts to collapse. I catch her on her way down.

"Maka, Maka, are you ok?" I tip her head backward and put my ear near her face to see if she's breathing. She's breathing alright but her soul wave length is wild and unpredictable. "Maka, say something, please."

She emits a little whine and her right hand grasps mine. "Soul, if I'm going away I want to make love to you one more time…"

My eyebrow arches not at the sex part but at the words 'going away'.

"Going away where, Maka? We're both gonna be getting on a train to Death City in just a little bit. To go back home together to _where we live…together_…right? You remember that right?"

A smile drifts across her face for a moment. "That was the old order…things are going to be different now. I feel it in my soul," and she slumps down becoming completely limp in my arms.

_**Fuck!**_

"Maka, Maka, _please_ wake up!" I hold her head and pull her eyelids open with my hands. "Maka, if you're in there listen to me. You're not going anywhere without me. I'm right here beside you. Maka!"

I can feel myself starting to panic. It looks like she's dying. Is she? She said something about a new order-that's Avian Flu bull crap. Shit, she has been infected somehow.

"Maka, you're going to be alright. Stay with me."

I toss my shirt back on and zip up my pants and put her backpack on her and mine on me. Then I cautiously open the door, checking to make sure no one sees us, I slip into the main part of the depot with her in my arms. I find an unoccupied bench and lay her down arranging her so it looks like she's taking a nap and I get in line to purchase our tickets watching her the entire time I'm in line.

"I need two tickets that will bring us as close as possible to Death City, Nevada as quickly as possible," I tell the ticket seller.

"Hhhhmmm. Well there aren't any trains that go directly to Death City." I tap my foot impatiently. That isn't news to me. I live in Death City, believe me I know that no roads or trains go directly to DC and right now I feel like the next time I see Lord Death I'm going to punch him in the face for doing that by design. What kind of an idiot intentionally isolates his school and city? What a fucking pain in the ass.

"And normally I'd put you on the line to Flaming Rock…but that track has been damaged. We just got a telegram about it. So, at this point your best bet would be to go into California and then take the train to Flagstaff and then go north…"

"How long would that take?" My eyes are still on Maka. She needs medicinal care of the magical variety and the best place I know for her to get it is in Death City.

"The better part of a day at least- let me take a look at the length of the layovers."

Another station employee walks over. "You can't do that either. The Flagstaff line has been compromised. They'll have to wait till it gets repaired."

"I'm sorry, sir, it looks like we can't get you into Nevada today. We keep getting telegrams that there are major problems with the railroad tracks. It's a very odd situation…I've never heard of something like this happening. You'd think someone was trying to sabotage it so no one could go to Nevada. Ha, ha, ha." She chuckles thinking she's made a funny joke, but there's no doubt in my mind that this has to do with Avian Flu.

The woman continues to talk to me as I walk away probably giving me other options or lodging choices, but I just mumble, "Thanks," and walk away.

"Maka, you hear me?"

She snores contentedly. I guess that's a blessing, at least she doesn't appear to be in pain or having nightmares. There is a little gift shop and I go in and buy a couple hoodie sweatshirts- one for her and one for me. Then I sit down beside her and take what little crap we still own and squish it all into one backpack and put it on her back and then lift her onto my back and head out of the station.

"You there, young man? Do you need assistance?" a train station employee asks me.

"Oh, no. We're fine. My girlfriend is scared of trains. We have to dope her up anytime we travel."

"Do you need a hand with her?"

"No. It's ok. We're heading home now. Thanks."

The man watches us as we go, but he soon gets distracted by other passengers. I walk us out of the view of the roads and train tracks and pull out our pocket mirror. I'm gonna need Lord Death's help.

"Hello, Soul," he begins to speak in his usual upbeat way and then he sees the expression on my face. "Oh, no what's happened?"

"It's Maka. She's unconscious and before she passed out she wasn't acting like herself."

"In what way?"

I turn a little red. "She was acting disoriented and… kind of aggressive…and….er…carnal…"

"I see." I hope that he really doesn't because I'd rather not have Lord Death envisioning the x-rated moments in my life, but then again you don't get a lot of privacy as a DWMA student.

"Problem is we can't get back home today. It sounds like the train tracks between here and DC have been sabotaged. There's no way for us to even get into Nevada, let alone to DC and Avian Flu's operatives took out our motorcycle, too." My voice starts quivering and I feel ashamed for not being able to hold it together. "Lord Death, I don't know what to do. Can you send the copter for us? I'm really worried about Maka."

"I'm sorry, Soul. The helicopter is with Ox in the midwest right now." _**Fuck!**_"But, we have a safe house near you…if you think you can get her there I can send someone to help you."

"I can get her there," I say before even asking, "Where is it?"

He gives me the coordinates and, thankfully, we still have our compass. It's going to be a hike, but if someone can meet me there and there are more medical supplies and other stuff there that can help than it's where we need to be.

"It's just a little cabin. No electricity or anything, but it's got a woodstove and under the creaky floorboard there's some weapons and items that might be handy. Soul, know that you are doing everything you can for her. Do not allow yourself to doubt that. Avian Flu is trying to break our morale. Do not let them."

I nod.

"My prayers will be with you and Meister Maka. Contact me as soon as you reach the house."

I take a deep breath and try to calm my soul wavelength. I take Maka's hand in mine.

"You hear that, Meister? Lord Death is praying for you. That's pretty awesome. Hopefully, he's gonna pray for my _back_, too," I tell her as I toss Maka on my back and head in the direction of the safe house.


	35. Chapter 35: Life as a Doll

**Risenfromash: **I think that I have some of you hooked! There are now more than 50 people following this story, but have no fear as I am hooked on writing it and there is a lot more stuff to come that I think is actually cooler than anything that happened at the beginning. Thank you to each of you for brightening my day and letting me know I'm not crazy obsessed with Soul and Maka for no good reason

_**Chapter 35: Life as a Doll; Soul's Imaginary Friend?**_

As I start the trek to the safe house packing Maka on my back my main fears are, of course, all about her…and me…and us. But, those aren't the only fears swirling around in my head. Some part of me is still tuned into the bigger picture enough to fear for our comrades and Lord Death's vision of a loving, happy world is in jeopardy. It's clear to me that Avian Flu is trying to strand members of the DWMA away from our leaders. As Lord Death said they're trying to break our morale…and, at this point they're doing a pretty good job. My partner is in some kind of coma or something, our motorcycle is toast, our supplies are lost, we accomplished our goal, but didn't get rid of all the enemies in this territory, and we somehow managed to ruin the vacations of a bunch of total strangers at a lovely little resort hotel. Fuck! I hate Avian Flu. These dudes are going down, all of them.

After only about a half hour I have to take my first break. Having Maka ride piggy back is one thing when she's awake, but with her totally floppy like this I have to lean down so far while walking that it is killing my back. I find a tree with minimal snow at its base and prop my meister against it. I sit beside her while I wipe the sweat from my forehead and fumble around in our bag for water.

Ugh! I'm an _idiot_! I didn't grab anything substantial for lunch or extra bottles of water. I panic for a second and fumble around in the bag. Do we even have _any_ food?! Thank, Death, there are a couple dehydrated rations smashed at the bottom of the bag and some trail mix, but that's it. I guess there's more than one reason to get to the safe house as fast as possible. Too bad I don't think I can go any faster than I already am.

This is when my meister is _supposed_ to lecture me about my lack of preparation and accuse me of going off 'half-cocked'. Then I can reply with some kind of lewd sexual innuendo. That is our norm and what _should_ be happening right now, but instead my discovery that I have very little food and water with us is met only by silence. I grumble. This is why I need Maka. Well, one of the reasons. How could I miss something as basic as packing some food and water in your bag for along the way, ya dumbass?

I sigh. Oh well. It's been more than a little crazy and there's plenty of snow for me to eat so at least I'm not going to die of dehydration like Maka has predicted I will. No, what's going to kill me is this fucking silence from my partner. Maka isn't one to talk excessively or anything, but I'm used to hearing her comment on the scenery as we travel or for her to talk strategy with me as we go along. Even a super bossy shout from her to tell me to pick up the pace or quit acting like a 'weenie' would delight me at this moment.

I toss a handful of trail mix in my mouth. "Want some?" I ask as I bring the bag right up under my mister's nose. "No? You're missing out. It's got lots of chocolate. I'd even let you pick out the chocolate chips and leave me the healthy part if you want." Maka doesn't respond. I shrug. "Fine, if you want to give me the silent treatment I guess that's ok. But you can't give me any crap about the next time I spend all weekend in bed sleeping because you, my meister, are literally sleeping on the job and you can be sure it'll be reflected on your next evaluation from me. 'Maka Albarn, needs to work on using own legs as mode of transportation, relies too heavily on ultra-sexy partner. Needs to improve her communication skills while unconscious.' That's what I'm gonna write. And maybe something about how you use me for sex. I'm sure Professor Stein will love to hear all about that."

There is still no reaction. Dammit! "I'm sorry, Maka, but we've gotta hit the road again. I know it's pretty here, but there's snow where we're going, too…God, someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning."

I look down at her. She's got a string of drool hanging from the corner of her mouth. "Wow, meister, that's really attractive." I wipe it off with my sleeve. "How bout you try riding up front this time? It's worth a try right?"

I put the backpack on and pick her up the way brides get carried over the threshold. It's definitely more comfortable for my back and by flinging one of her arms over my shoulder I can _almost_ pretend she's not comatose. I take a few steps like this before her arm slides down. I tip my body in an attempt to toss the arm back up onto me, but as I do her head rolls backward…and I lose it. I've had too many nightmares where instead of a close call an enemy attack has found its mark and she lays in my arms dead…just like this.

The tears are coming, I feel them. I need to get ahold of myself. For Death's sake, _man up, Soul_. You're acting like a little girl! Yes, she's _everything _to you and you're a miserable fucking wretch whenever you are without her…but you haven't lost her…not yet anyway.

It _feels_ like I'm choosing not to face reality…like those families that keep their loved ones on ventilators and life support even after they know their loved one is brain dead. They always say that they're doing it because they are hoping for a miracle, but I don't believe in miracles and I don't think Maka does either. But is it a miracle we need at this point? I'm not sure.

I reach out for her soul…it's still there. It's still strong. It's just not responding to me for some reason. Normally, were she to sense that I was searching for her soul she'd meet me half way, kind of enveloping me in a hug between our souls…it's hard to describe, but it isn't happening right now. It's like hers is frozen, like she's an appliance in standby mode and I can't figure out which switch to turn to get her operational again. I tell myself what I need is an operations manual or google, not a miracle. I just need someone with expertise in stuff like this.

But it's hard to ignore those ominous words Falconer said to me right before his death, "Soul Eater, beware that you are destined to lose that which you most value to the Avian Flu." There's no doubt that what I most value is her…and he knew it, the fucker just said it like that to be dramatic. I think he wanted to sound like a prophet in his final moments instead of some random asshole threatening to hurt my girlfriend.

And then _she_ talked about 'going away'. That's when it hits me. I don't want to live without her. I didn't take Ragnarok to the chest because I was a hero; I did it because I'm selfish. I'd rather sacrifice my own life than go on without her. Maybe we are more like Romeo and Juliet than Maka would like to admit, because I really can't think why I'd want to wake up each morning if it wasn't for her. The thought of my life without her is like the vast Nevada desert…empty and boring.

"Damn you, Maka. You better be fighting in there! You can't do this to me! I love you too much!" I fall to my knees still clutching her to me and I feel great shame in not having the faith in her to believe that she will recover. I should trust my meister more than that.

"Screw my back, you're getting a piggy back ride whether you like it or not and then we're gonna figure out what I have to do to get your sorry ass to wake up. You hear me?! We're working! This is not sleepy time. I don't know what has gotten into you this trip."

And I resume the journey knowing full well that I will not be strong enough to make it to the safe house without breaking down again and without the worries strangling me with doubts, but I tell myself what really matters is that I keep moving. If I can get her to help she still has a chance. If I give up I'll lose her for sure and she's never written me off as a lost cause. I have to trust that somewhere in that ragdoll my strong and tenacious meister is fighting whatever ails her and just because I can't be in her hand as her weapon during this battle doesn't mean I can't help her to win and so I continue to trudge through the snow carrying my meister, the woman I love, and praying that we won't be like Romeo and Juliet and only have one day of bliss together.


	36. Chapter 36: Strangers in the Night

**Risenfromash: **Hi, everybody. The last chapter was short because I was going to break these story chunks up differently but figured why not post the part I had finished…so this part is extra long because it's like a chunk and a half.

Someone commented that in one of the citrusy chapters I had written it so that our hero and heroine would have to be like Mr. Fantastic to bend to do what I described…so, I think I need to take another look. The implication is that it's a 69, but I really try to avoid certain language I myself don't find sexy. I think you're a 'member' of a club, not that you use a 'member' to have sex… and I think that 'ballsack' and 'snatch' don't belong in lemons unless it's first person and that language fits the character. I just find it too jarring, so it's highly possible that in trying to describe without literally drawing a picture I screwed up…which is hilarious because I had the same concern with a story I read the other day. I'm cruising a long and all of a sudden I'm like, "Wait? What? Where is that penis going while the arms are doing what now?!" So, anyway I love the feedback as I'm sure one of these days I will tidy up a few errors…but for right now I am plunging forward…

_**Chapter 36: Strangers in the Night; Safe at Last?**_

It's been about six hours since I left the train station and from the info Lord Death gave me I'm guessing I'm getting close to the safe house, but not wanting to get my hopes up I keep telling myself I have at least another hour of hiking left…and, of course, another hour of hauling my comatose meister on my back.

At this point my brain is so fried by worry that I don't even feel self-conscious about talking to her as though she's talking back. I'm just rolling with it.

"You know, Maka this will be our first time going to one of the DWMA safe houses. We have _definitely _hit the big time this trip. I wonder how many Deathscythes have come through here over the years." I pause. Becoming a Deathscythe has been such a big deal to me for so long, but I have to admit the distinction has lost some of its appeal now that I'm thinking about how it might split me and Maka up. I guess I should be able to survive without her for a mission or two, but honestly I have no interest in being stationed at some remote outpost unless she's with me. That would suck…almost as much as the last six hours have sucked.

"I've been thinking about this whole Deathscythe thing. I'm super cool and everything, but I think you'd agree I'm not super competent at some things, hence my chronic academic probation, so I think you and I could make the case that I need a meister with me at all times…you know, a little additional supervision to keep me in line…and I'd nominate you." I smile devilishly. My ego is perfectly fine with highlighting my shortcomings if it means I get to have her as my companion on future adventures.

I try to remind myself that this is an adventure. Slogging through the snow with hardly any food in my belly, carrying an unconscious partner who may be dying, in the middle of nowhere in the high desert…this is all part of the DWMA experience and what I wanted when I said that as a Demon Weapon I would be happy

"For the record, Maka. I do not consider this romantic. I know you think the snow is pretty, but I think walking on a tropical beach with you would be way better than this winter wonderland shit." I create a fantasy in my head, white sand, aqua water, sea turtles, dolphins, and my meister in a bikini…it's a private beach. Just us…no creepers that I have to worry about. "We could sit and watch the sunset and have a campfire after dark. That would be romantic and if you weren't in a coma. That much the better."

I hear something…it sounds like water…I walk toward the sound and am thrilled to see a dilapidated bridge over a creek. This is a landmark I was given, which means that we are close! And that means that I didn't get us lost dooming us to eating dehydrated beef stew until we freeze to death. Hurrah! Now if I can just manage to make it the last leg of the journey I can have food, warmth. I can take my feet out of these wet, cold socks…

I carefully cross the bridge which is slippery from years of decay and ice. Then I turn to the northwest and count my paces as I walk and eventually I see something coming into view that is definitely not a pine tree or a shrub. It's the cabin! I'm so relieved to see it I almost drop my meister. Instinctively, I reach to grab her and yanking her by the leg so that only part of her hits the ground.

"Oh, shit!" I pick her up brushing the snow and dirt from her face and then I figure screw it. Let's just get in the cabin.

The cabin is a tiny one room structure with an outhouse behind it. There is a front door and a back door, presumably for making those midnight bathroom runs, and windows on the west and south side. I step up on the cabin's small porch and stamp the snow off my shoes and open the door. It's dark inside even though it's only mid-afternoon. When I open the door some critter goes skittering across the floor and I find myself reaching for a light switch out of habit and then remembering that Lord Death said there wasn't any electricity here.

But there is a bed. Thank God! I flop Maka down on the twin size bed and stand upright stretching my back for the hundredth time today. I feel like it's going to take one of those medieval torture devices to get my spine back in the proper order. I am beat. All I want to do is sleep…I unceremoniously shove my meister over so I can also lie down on the bed next to her. It's hard to believe that less than twenty-four house ago she and I were snoozing on a fancy pillow top mattress in a fancy hotel. I feel like I could sleep for the next week…that is if it weren't so cold in here. I've gotta get a fire going and get out of these wet socks before I start losing toes.

I walk over to the wood stove and look around. There is a wooden crate full of wood and kindling a little ways from the stove next to a chair and on the wall there is a shelf that has some matches and a couple small candles. I light the candle and go to work building a fire.

Once I've got the fire going, I sit down and pull off my sopping wet shoes and socks and set them near the fire and set to work investigating what there is in the little place that could be of use to us. I feel like a video game character as I open every cupboard, look in every drawer, and peer under the beds and the table and the chairs. There isn't much. I find some beat up silverware in a drawer a couple paperback novels- a trashy romance and some kind of pulp, western, and a pad of paper and a pencil, but Lord Death had said that the food and other useful items were stored under the floor so it doesn't worry me that I'm finding nothing good just laying around. He had said that I could access the cache of supplies by lifting a squeaky floorboard.

I walk across the floor several times and identify a distinct creak that is heard when I place my bare feet in a certain spot. After doing it a few more times I figure out which floorboard needs to come up. I reach into my pocket to grab my knife and realize that I left it in the leg of one of those damn birds that tried to fly off with Maka. Great, Lord Death is gonna make me write up how we managed to lose so much shit on this trip, I just know it. I stand up grumbling and walk over to a wooden piece of furniture that looks like a buffet and pull out a rusty butter knife and use it to pry up the floorboard.

Using the candle I illuminate what's below and I see a stack of canned food…food! I start grabbing cans and flinging them beside me. There's also some weapons: a crossbow, a gun, and a boomerang. A boomerang?! Really? What do they think we're doing here, hanging out for the weekend for fun? There's also some ponchos or tents or something and what looks like a med kit of some kind.

I grab a pot and can opener that are lying next to the pile of canned food and go to town opening the cans and dumping their contents into the pot. It looks like I will be feasting on beef stew/corn beef hash/corn tonight. I don't even care what it will taste like I just want some warm food in my belly.

I stick the pot with my concoction in the woodstove figuring that eventually it will get warm and if not I'll eat it cold.

Satisfied that I'm not going to die of hunger or dehydration or my feet falling off, I refocus my attention on my partner who is snoring and creating a nice little drool spot on one of the two pillows on the bed. I heave the tackle box with the distinctive white and red cross symbol on it up through the floor and open it up. It is a wonderland of supplies. There's gotta be something in here to help her! It even has stuff to set up an IV which is totally cool…but doesn't help us since I don't know how to place an IV catheter and I'm not sure if that would help in this situation. Then again I have no idea what will help and not help, but I figure I can't do too much damage with ointments and bandaging so I position Maka on the bed in such a way that I can attend to her arm while she lays there.

As soon as I adjust the wrap that has been covering the woodpecker holes I smell an _awful_ odor. It smells like nothing I've ever smelt before…some kind of cross between rotten fish, bird poop, and maggots. I wretch. This is _bad_…no normal wound would go south this fast. I try to clean it and I start gagging again. The smell is so bad that I have to back away and dig around in the first aid kit till I find a surgical mask to put on. Even with the mask I can still smell the wound and it makes me decide that even though Maka and I have swapped body fluids I'm still gonna wear gloves for this.

"Oh, Maka, you are _never_ allowed to complain about Black*Star and me stinking up the house on chili night after this. Wooooweee!" I take the used bandage, open the backdoor of the cabin and throw it out into the snow. There is _no way_ I am keeping that thing in here with us.

Her skin around the holes has turned a sickly white and a purple cloud seems to be emitted from them. I'm pretty sure no one trained us on first aid for anything remotely like this.

The medical kit has a bunch of different ointments and crèmes. There's stuff made of silver, antifungals, antibiotic gels, steroid creams, and some goos that have long medical jargon printed on them, but unfortunately there is nothing labeled "Soul, put this one on Maka's arm" so I pretty much have to randomly pick one. I decide to start with an antifungal cream for no particular reason. I squeeze it in one of the holes and it fizzes and sizzles like bacon in a pan. I think maybe it's doing something helpful until it fades and the purple cloud is still there. OK, let's try the steroid cream. I think Professor Stein once said steroids could fix just about anything…I squeeze a glob into a different hole but it does much the same thing as the antifungal cream. I try a few more creams but they all just sizzle and fade away.

I curse and start to kick the med kit, but remember that I'm barefoot in time to stop myself. Taking a deep breath I start thinking about everything else our mentors have told us.

Let's see…when you get hit with a confusion spell a sharp blow snaps you out of it… "Maka, I'm sorry about this. I really am." I smack her in the face desperately hoping that she'll hop up and try to wring my neck, but she doesn't react. "Oh, meister..." I whine.

Massage can help with some stuff…I don't remember what…I grab the arm and massage it starting from her hand and working my way up hoping maybe I can squeeze the poison or badness out of it, but it doesn't seem to do anything.

Didn't I once hear that pissing on a rattlesnake bite makes it better? I look at her. I'm torn between the need to try everything I possibly can and the need to maintain what little dignity my meister has left. I decide I will wait to try the pee thing, because I really don't think she'd be happy about that.

I sit down in the chair and I'm about to cry when I realize I haven't contacted Lord Death yet. I walk over to the front window and draw the numbers, but to my surprise it's Sid that answers and not Lord Death himself.

"Oh, hey Sid."

"Hey. How's Maka?" He says in his deep baritone.

"She's the same, but the wound is worse."

"You made it to the cabin?"

I nod.

"I'll let Lord Death know. I'm sorry he can't talk to you himself. He's meeting with Tsubaki right now. She's pretty upset."

"What's wrong?"

Sid looks downward. "Black*Star and Harvar haven't checked in for the last three days."

"Shit."

"Yeah, we kept hoping that they were just being irresponsible," he rolls his eyes. "It is Black*Star…but it's been three days. I wish I had better news for you."

I shrug. Maybe it's better to get bad news when things are already bleak than when things are going great. I dunno.

"Tell Tsubaki me and Maka will do whatever we can to help find Black*Star…as soon as we can."

"Of course. Get some rest."

And then he's gone leaving me with yet another thing to add to the list of bad stuff…one of my best friends is missing…

I rewrap Maka's wound deciding that there isn't anything more I can do for it. Despite the cold I leave the back door open for a while so that the smell will hopefully waft out and I climb in bed beside her and have a little cry, but crying isn't the release I hope it will be. It actually makes me feel worse because what if she can hear me? What if she knows I'm giving up?

Eventually the smell of her nasty wound is replaced by the smell of my food which is turning into a charred mess in the cast iron pot. I get up and eat it right out of the pot and while I scarf it down I keep getting this creepy sensation that I'm being watched, but I write it off as paranoia from having one of the worst days of my life.

It starts getting dark so I figure I best prepare for the evening by choosing a weapon and resecuring the floorboard in its place. I look at my three weapon options and decide that given the circumstances the gun is the best because if someone from Avian Flu has followed us I'd rather they not get close enough to me or my meister to allow me the use of my scythe arm.

I load the gun with bullets and hope that there isn't more to it than that. It can't be too complicated, right? Stupid thugs use guns all the time so I should be able to figure out how to use one…at least I hope.

And then I pull the covers over Maka and join her in bed the gun resting by my right hand should I need to grab it in a hurry. I still have that sense of being watched, but I'm so tired I don't give a damn.

"Night, Maka," I say and I am asleep within moments.

It's dark when I hear the sound of footsteps approaching the cabin. I grab the gun and point it toward the door and realize for the first time that the DWMA doesn't have any code words or anything similar to help me to identify if this person is a friend or foe. Whoever it is has some kind of flashlight or lantern that is casting light all over the place in rather creepy ways and a rather large pack on their back. My hand is shaking. If this is one of those demons I can take it out, but if it's the first of many demons I might not be able to fight them all off by myself. I try to calm my soul, but I feel myself beginning to hyperventilate.

The door opens and I immediately hear, "Oh, good grief, Soul! Put that down before you hurt someone! You don't know the first thing about how to handle a guy!"

It's Kid! His scolding immediately makes me relax and he easily pulls the gun from my hand setting it on the table in the middle of the room.

"Hey!" I say as he pulls off his backpack and sets his lantern down on the table.

"How is she?" he asks without bothering to remove his hat or coat.

"Not good. She's been unconscious since about six this morning and the wound looks terrible." I shake my head. "I've done everything that I can think of."

"Tell me." I list off the ointments I've tried, the slap to the face, the massage, everything. "Kid, please tell me I'm being stupid and have forgotten something…"

Kid kneels beside her and glances at me for permission to unwrap the wound, but before I can equip him with gloves and a mask I hear a muffled voice coming from his pocket.

"Kid, I thought I heard Soul? Are we there yet?"

"Oh, my apologies." Kid reaches into the pocket on either side of his overcoat and with perfect symmetry pulls a gun from each one, placing the two firearms on the floor beside the bed and suddenly Liz and Patti appear in the cabin as well.

"Kid, wanted to save money so we rode in his pocket," Patti says running over and hugging me.

"All you were going to do on the train was sleep, anyway," he mumbles. "Besides, bullet train tickets are insanely expensive."

Patti and Liz walk over to the fire to warm themselves and he leans toward me and whispers, "Really, I just wanted some peace and quiet. They've been going on and on about some damn British pop star for _days_. The guy can't even lip sync well and his eyebrows are lopsided."

"Jealous?" I tease him, relieved to have my brain freed from the more serious topics it's been ruminating on all day.

"Course not. I'm just appalled that my ladies don't have better taste. I mean, just because the man has a British accent does not make him refined."

I smile. He's jealous. I'll make sure Black*Star and I give him a good ribbing about this when we're all back in DC. All of us, alive and well back in DC…a wave of panic shouts through me. Are we all going to make it back to DC?

"Kid, please don't take this the wrong way…but do you actually know stuff about magical ailments?" I ask trying not to sound like a total ass. "I kinda thought Mira'd be coming."

"Kid actually knows quite a bit. He's been looking for a cure for OCD for several years now." Liz says winking at her meister and leaving me uncertain as to whether I should take her words seriously or not.

"Besides, we were the closest people to you. We were fighting a bunch of demons on a ranch in Idaho when we got the word Maka'd been hurt. So we rushed right over," Patti offers. "Did ya get Falconer?"

I nod. "We did, but his asshole side kick did a pecker attack." Patti giggles and I realize that what I just said would sound really wrong out of context.

Kid appears deep in thought as he stuffs his hat in his pocket, unwraps his red scarf, and unbuttons his coat. The scarf is very long and lumpy and he's wrapped it around his neck more times than I can count. Liz takes it from him and throws it over the back of a chair in the opposite corner of the room.

"Kid," Patti says. "I'm gonna heat up some water. You want tea or cocoa?"

"Tea, please."

"Soul?"

"Do you have tea?" I ask thinking she may not realize that we have only the bare necessities here in the middle of nowhere.

"Of course. Can't leave home without lots of Kid's Earl Grey. He gets grouchy without it."

Kid ignores Patti's comments and says, "Let me see the wound."

"Ok, but you're going want these," I say handing him gloves and a mask and putting back on the mask I had on earlier.

I unwrap the wound as our friends gather to take a look, Patti and Liz pinching their noses all the while. When they see it they gasp, but I've decided to look at her face and not the grotesque wound.

Patti comes and takes my hand. "You've been awful scared haven't you, Soul?" I nod a little never taking my eyes off Maka's face. "Well, don't worry. Kid will have her back to smooching you in no time and I won't even let him watch. Sometimes, I have to stop him from being all pervy like that-"

"Patti!" Kid shouts glaring at the shorter of his two partners. "Could you please quit harassing Soul. I'm sure he has enough on his mind without you pestering him."

"Oh, you definitely need your Earl Grey. You're being a regular Captain Crabby Pants today."

"Would you please be quiet? I need to think," he complains as she begins to open cupboards presumably looking for something to put water in to heat up in the fire.

"Liz, grab the mediscope from my bag, please." Liz brings over a funky looking pair of glasses that resemble backwards telescopes. He puts them on and adjusts some gears at the side. "Looks like some kind of infection of mind control…the good news is she isn't dying."

"No?!" I practically shout it even though I didn't mean to.

"Even if she were we wouldn't let that happen," Kid says calmly and with an air of authority only a reaper can have.

"We need to make a poultice to stick in the holes. Ladies," he says extending his hand. "Your tampons, please."

They dash to the backpack and produce a handful of the feminine products as though having their meister ask for them is as normal as serving him tea.

"Excellent, now we need to mash up some anti-inflammatories and coat the tampons with the pills. That will hopefully slow the infection while we work on the antidote.…but we need some rare ingredients to make the antidote."

He hands the mediscope back to Liz who delicately folds it and wraps it in a cloth and puts it in the backpack with great care.

"For this we will require help," he says and I start to tell him that I'll do anything we need, but he puts up his hand indicating it isn't my turn to talk. Then he makes a fist and knocks on the wall with a very distinctive wrap and much to my surprise a mouse comes running out from under the bed.

"Is that you, Kid?" the mouse says.

"Yes."

"Why the last time I saw you, you couldn't abin morin five or six."

"Yes, something like that…Madame Morax is it?"

"Oh, you don't have to be so formal. You can call me Rax, same as you' father."

"Thank you, Rax. Soul, Liz, Patti, this is Rax, a witch. This is her home. Many years ago my father and she were dueling and she intended to change my father into a mouse, but the spell ricocheted back on her leaving her permanently transformed into this state. My father took pity on her and elected to allow her to continue to live here in her home rather than to claim her soul."

"I admire his wisdom, I do and I can tell you is on the same path of the smarty pants."

"That's kind of you, Rax, and I hope you will remember my father's kindness now as I require a favor of you," Kid places his hand on the floor and the witch climbs into his palm. He brings her alongside of the bed. "This is one of my classmates at the DWMA, our friend, Maka Albarn. She was attacked by members of Avian Flu and they appear to have hit her with a hemocontaminatetoxphylle."

I blink. Ok, that is not a word in the vocab lessons Maka gave me.

"Yeah, I's a seen her when the boy brought 'er in. That's a mighty powerful spell…what you wan' me to do about it?" Rax asks not unkindly, but guarded as though fearful she might get asked to pull off some great feat.

"My friends and I need to make an antidote to the poison that is spreading through her. We need to stop it before she is fully infected. We don't have a lot of time before the bone marrow starts making infected red blood cells. There are some things we will need for the antidote and I'm hoping you might have them squirrelled away somewhere or know where we could find them. We are going to need mugwort, Breathe of Halifrax, and angel scales."

"Ohhh, those are hard to come by these days…I might have some mugwort, but the Breathe of Halifax you won't find easily and only one person in these parts would have angel scales…"

"Please, Maka's life depends on it."

He doesn't appear to be bluffing her, so why the fuck did he tell me she wasn't dying? I put my hand on his shoulder making him turn toward me. I need him to look me in the eye. "I thought you said she wasn't dying. Kid, you need to play it straight with me."

"In a minute," Kid says putting his hand up to quiet me. His concentration is all on that tiny witch and the knowledge she has that he lacks. "Rax, where is the closest place we could get some?"

"There's a witch name is Gretel Gabtree she lives a hop skip and a jump from 'ere who I'm sure would have some, but she won't sell it to you if she knows who ya be. She ain't no fan of your father's."

"I imagine not," Kid says undaunted. "However, I happen to have some of the continent's most talented thieves with me." Patti and Liz step forward and bow their heads to the rodent.

"Oh, Kid! You found yourself such pretty companions. I knew you would. You always had an eye for beauty and so smart. You're so-"

"Thank you, Rax. Now do you think you could accompany them to Myrtle's so they can get what we need for the antidote?"

"Well…" The little mouse taps her hind foot as she thinks.

"What would you like in exchange? You have the resources of a reaper at your disposal," Kid offers.

"I would like to be human again."

"I'm not sure that even my father can grant that. You cast a very strong spell without an easy undo…"

"Hhhhmmmmm. Well then, there's only one only thing I want…a strawberry cheesecake and I want you to eat it with me."

"Alright. I'd be happy to, but I can't make one appear from thin air. You'll have to trust that I will return with it at a later date."

"That'd be fine. I can't get too far these days so anytime would be fine. You and me, we'll have ourselves a little date."

Kid offers his pinkie finger to the mouse and she runs onto it. "Consider that us shaking on it," he says and then he places the witch on the table.

Kid stands up and his partners huddle in near him. "I have no doubt that you will complete this mission successfully. But please remember to be speedy about it and that I expect you to return to me safe and sound. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Kid." They both answer.

"Rax, you can ride in the brim of my hat," Patti says. "Ok? You're gonna need to tell me and Liz where to go."

As they step out of the cabin Patti can be heard asking if Rax has a fetish for reapers and how far she will go on a first date.

Kid takes a deep breath and sets to work crushing pills to roll the tampons in.

"Kid, tell me the truth how long does she have?"

He shakes his head.

"Come on you're a reaper…you should know."

"I'm sorry, I don't"

"Please…"

"Hours, maybe a day or two- then I estimate she will be fully possessed by the demon. She'll be alive but not truly the Maka we know. Certain aspects of her personality may change and she may lose some of her memories."

"It's already happening. I'm not sure she remembers Death City."

"Yes, but I'm sure she remembers you," he says with a smile. "And that, Soul, is what is going to save her."


	37. Chapter 37

Chapter 37: Entrance into Meister Mind; Soul's Serenade?

Kid and I scramble around finding what we need to pulverize the pills into a fine powder that we can use to coat the tampons. While experimenting with the rudimentary supplies we have, I accidentally shoot a pill across the room almost pegging Kid right in one of his yellow eyes, but after a few tries we get the technique down and before long I am shoving tampons in the holes in her arms thinking that this is not something I could ever have imagined myself doing. I wrap the arm up again and afterward Kid and I take off our masks and gloves relieved to have that over with.

"Pardon me. I'm going to go outside for some fresh air for a moment," Kid tells me grabbing his coat and hat.

"I could use some air, too. Mind if I come with you?"

"No, as long as you don't tell my partners."

"Huh?"

While stepping out the back door he reaches into the inside breast pocket of his coat pulling out a pack of cigarettes and a lighter.

"You smoke?"

"Yes, but only when I'm stressed. The girls hate it. They lecture me to no end about it. But I'm a reaper- I can't get lung cancer. The worst it'll do to me is give me yellow teeth."

He lights one and leans against the building taking a big drag. "I haven't gotten to have one in several days because they've always been with me."

"That why you sent them off on their own?"

"No. You and I have more work to do, but I thought we could both use a break. It's been a hard day for everyone. However did you manage to carry her all the way here by yourself? That's one hell of a hike. I'm lucky I had the board."

"It totally sucked. I carried her on my back the entire way. But it sounded like the best thing for her was to get her here. I couldn't go into the normal ER and be like, 'Hey, my girlfriend got attacked by a giant woodpecker and is under the effects of some sleeping thingamagigger.'"

Kid laughs and little puffs of smoke come from his mouth. "Yes, I suppose that wouldn't work."

"We'd probably have both gotten thrown in the psych ward."

"You know, they tried to put me there once," Kid says sadly. "Actually, they did, but I busted out. We joke a lot about my OCD, but sometimes it can be rather disabling." He scratches his lip with the thumb of the hand holding the cigarette before taking another long drag. "I'm damn lucky that my ladies know how to take care of me when I'm especially bad."

We stand there in silence for a time and then Kid says more to himself than to me. "I don't know where I'd be without those two."

I decide the conversation has gotten too heavy so I change the topic. After all, we are supposed to be resting. "I guess Maka is right. The snow is pretty as it falls down."

Kid nods. "I think it's quite nice here. Other than having no electricity or running water. I would give anything to be able to sit down and play some _Smash and Thrash_ right now. At home I don't need to smoke, I've got my video games."

"Oh, God, totally. You know we're going to miss the midnight release party of _Damage Dimension_."

"Dammit! I forgot all about that. Oh, well. I'll have one of the servants pick up my reserved copy for us. You can come over and play it at my place when this is over."

"That'd be awesome. It'll feel really great to be able to hit the restart button."

"I know what you mean. God, those bastards almost got Patti. For some reason they seem to want to annihilate _her_. _Specifically _her. They act differently towards Liz and I, but all they seem to want to do to Patti is blast her to bits by whatever means necessary."

"They tried to take Maka from me. You haven't seen the wounds on her shoulders yet but they picked her up by their talons and were gonna fly off with her and they were ordered to kill me."

"Well, it appears the two of you did a very good job of foiling their plans," he says smiling slyly at me as he blows some smoke from the corner of his mouth. "They always underestimate students. They think the full-fledged agents are the only ones they need to worry about but our class is one of the most skilled in decades from what I've heard."

His cigarette is now down to the butt. He pulls it from his mouth and holds it. "I'll throw it in the fire. I have no patience for smokers who leave their butts all over like ingrates."

I guiltily look at the lump of snow that marks where I threw Maka's bandage, but I don't say anything.

We walk back into the cabin and he tosses his cigarette butt into the wood stove and removes his hat and coat tossing them on the chair with his scarf.

"So, what now?" I ask. "Do we just wait till the girls are back?"

"No, to ensure that we don't lose her completely we'll need to take action before they're back."

I go to the bed and sit down beside her. "Ok, what do we need to do?"

Kid walks over to my meister and I and looming over her says darkly, "We are going to enter her."

"Excuse me?" Surely he can't mean what first pops into my mind at those words.

"Good Lord, Soul, is sex always the thing at the forefront of your mind? Even at a time like this?! You're as bad as Patti and Liz!"

"Sorry for not being some kind of mutant like you who can have hotties hanging all over him and not be affected by it."

He raises an eyebrow and looks me in the eye. "Oh, is that what you think? That it has no effect on me? I only _wish_ that were the case."

"Dude?! Is there something goin' on between you and one of the Thompsons?" I shouldn't be this excited about that kind of news. I'm like a gossipy housewife…but I have had money riding on it for a while. I say it will be Liz who ends up taking Kid's virginity one of these days, but if he's messing around with Patti I won't bother to remind Black*Star about our bet.

"We'll talk about it later, but I assure you I am _not_ a mutant...just a reaper. There is a difference."

"Now, my understanding is that after you got infected with the Black Blood Maka has been able to visit you in some kind of thought projection or mind palace or something."

"Yeah. It's where that asshole ogre took up residence after I got hit by Ragnarok."

"But, you can't enter Maka's mind."

"No, I'm assuming it's cause I don't have Soul Perception."

"But _I _do."

"So, you're going to try to enter her mind?"

"No, I think in her state it's going to take both of us. I'm going to try to maintain some kind of soul connection with both of you and you're going to enter my mind and find a pathway to hers."

I think about this for a moment. In theory it makes sense…

"You ever done anything like this before?" I ask him.

He shakes his head. "No and it won't be easy. I don't think it would be possible with just anyone, but you and Maka are much more than partners. I think your souls are closely enough linked you'll be able to find a way to her even without having Soul Perception."

"It doesn't hurt to try right?"

"It shouldn't, but it could be disturbing…I don't know what state she'll be in when you find her."

"It's ok. I'll figure it out. What do I do when I find her?"

"I'm not entirely sure. I think you'll just need to stay with her until the girls get back."

"But what happens when you prepare the antidote, won't you lose your connection to us?"

"I'm going to leave them notes on what to do. With Rax's assistance it shouldn't be a problem for them to make it so that I can remain connected to both of you. The only problem is I have no idea how long this is going to take. It may very well be the longest we've ever resonated with someone so let's make sure we're ready and comfortable before we start."

He reaches into his bag and tosses me a granola bar. "Eat this. I saw the remains of what you ate for dinner. Repulsive."

"I don't think I even tasted it," I grin ripping into the granola bar all too happy to have more food.

He pulls a chair over to Maka's bedside. "I think you should lay down beside her here. I'm going to hold your right hand while you hold Maka's with your left. The physical connection _may_ help." And then unceremoniously he says, "I've got to make a trip to the outhouse. I'll be right back."

I take the moment alone with Maka to readjust her position so her head is facing where mine will be resting while we resonant. I wipe her lips, once again removing the drool from them, and lean down and kiss her. "Maka, I'm coming to find you, but you gotta help ok? Try and give me some kind of sign of where you are if you can. You know I can be pretty clueless sometimes."

Kid comes back into the cabin and gathers up his massively long scarf in his hand.

What's with that thing?" I ask him staring at the way he delicately arranges it.

"Oh, it was a gift from Patti. She made it for me a few years ago when she was in a knitting phase, but she got some of the measurements wrong. It's a bit long."

"A bit?"

He chuckles. "I've thought about cutting it into three parts so we could each have a matching one, but I don't want to hurt her feelings. It was a very thoughtful present."

"I've never seen it before."

"Yes, well there isn't much call for a winter scarf in DC, but I usually bring it with me on missions just in case. And right now it's going to make wonderful lumbar support. " He says sitting down in the chair.

"You ready?"

I nod. This shouldn't be too hard. _Find Maka._ I'm good at that and she's good at finding me. Even when people have sent doppelgangers she and I can see through the imposters quickly. We know each other; so as long as I trust my instincts I should be able to find her.

"And Soul…uh…I'd appreciate if you keep to yourself anything you might see in my mind."

"Course," I say and we take each other's hand and I take Maka's in mine.

"Soul Resonance!" Kid shouts and the wind tunnel feeling hits both of us.

Matching wavelengths with Kid isn't as second nature as it is with Maka…it feels like we are two gears with teeth that aren't quite the right size to fit with one another, but can still manage to make the necessary cogs turn. It is way easier than it was the first time I resonated with Kirikou, though. Maka and Kid have a similar technique and I use that to my advantage. Instead of focusing on my soul wavelength Kid focuses on his own, making it steady and unwavering thereby providing me with a rhythm to mimic and before long we are perfectly in sync.

"OK, now try to find some way to get from my mind into hers!"

"Right!"

"I don't think she's so far gone that her soul won't be seeking your companionship. Use that to your advantage."

"Will do."

I begin to feel a sensation of drifting. It's rather like what I imagine weightlessness in outer space would feel like or a soup bubble floating on a light afternoon breeze, but eventually I feel the pull of gravity giving me mass once again and my feet touch the ground in a place I've never been before. I'm dressed in sneakers, jeans, and my limited edition _Skeletoxin_ t-shirt that I lost in the fire at the Wintermore. My hair is held out of my face with my black headband and I feel as normal in my skin as I do in the real world.

I look around and there is no doubt that I'm in Kid's head. The room is rectangular with roman pillars on either side of me and in the center of the room is a fountain with a statue of two handguns. The guns are crossed and point upward with a fountain of water cascading from the barrel of each one. Everything in the place is perfectly symmetrical including framed images on the wall including a picture of Patti in a heart shaped frame. I get kind of excited thinking this means he's into her but directly across the room from that picture is one of Liz in the matching frame. I would guess that all these 'photos' are projections of memories of Kid's. Most are of people from the DWMA, but there are also ones of cats and gothic buildings and trees.

At the end of this room there are some doors so I head in that direction, but after seeing a number of photos of my meister I think that perhaps I should check one of them out. I chose a picture with just her and stand in front of it calling her name, but nothing happens. I then find another photo this time of me and Maka sitting on Brunnie. I once again focus on the picture and call for my meister, but again nothing happens. Ok, this idea does not seem to be working, but there's plenty more to explore before getting frustrated.

I notice there are an awful lot of photos of Maka here. Were this not Kid's mind I'd be getting pissed, but I know Kid better than to fear he has some hidden agenda to steal my meister away from me. They're probably all from one of those meister only training retreats they go on once a year.

When I get closer to the end of the hall I find that there are a total of five doors, one in the middle facing me and two on either side. None have any kind of distinguishing markings so I open the one in front of me. It's a skate park. I could have guessed something like that would be here somewhere. He's as obsessed with skateboarding as I am…was with…poor Brunnie! Can't think about my motorcycle now! Must concentrate…

I step back in the main room and select another door. This room is bare other than some toy horses scattered on the floor and an end table with a beautiful bouquet of flowers sitting on top of it. Nothing in there 'speaks' to me of my meister so I exit and try the door next to it.

"Wow!" That's all I can say. This place is some kind of dungeon. The walls, ceiling, and floor are all made of stone. There's a barred window at the back high up on the wall and in the middle is what appears to be a medieval torture device like the rack I've seen in movies about the Middle Ages. There's also a wall of weapons. The place smells like sweat and blood. I'm actually _relieved_ that Maka isn't here. I shut the door wondering if that is what Kid was embarrassed to have me see or if I should expect more little surprises as I wander around.

I cross the room and open the door directly opposite the horse and flower room. This room has bright yellow walls that have been doodled all over with colorful scribbles from floor to ceiling. It looks like a kid's nursery only with a bed much bigger than any a child would need. As my eyes get used to the brightness of the room I realize that most of the doodles are of stick figures, one is always in black and white, and the other two are in brown. Sometimes the black stick figure is holding two silver things one in each hand. I can't help but grin at the little hieroglyphics of Kid's team. I enter the room thinking this is a place Maka might like…but nothing makes me feel like she's been here so sadly I head out of this happiness-inducing space and back into the relative sterility of the main room.

Only one more door…I open it and it's some kind of storage room packed top to bottom with crap. It looks like my grandma's attic. Ugh! She isn't here either. I step back out and try to think. What can I do? I return to every door opening and closing them again to see if I missed anything.

Inside the scribble room I see a toy xylophone and I sit down and play a tune on it. Nothing happens, but I figure Maka knows I communicate through my music so maybe if I try somewhere else I might reach her. I carry the toy xylophone around dinging it every so often or playing simple songs like, Pop_ Goes the Weasel_ and I start calling her name.

"Maka? Where you at? Come on, I know you wanna see Kid's creepy dungeon room!"

"I asked you to exercise discretion, asshole." Says Kid.

"Oh, you can still hear me? Why haven't you said anything?"

"It takes too much extra energy. Quit talking to me."

"Ok, ok. It's not like I was gonna tell her that you have photos of Liz and Patti in heart shaped frames."

"Yes, please don't. That will only make my life worse. I told you we would talk about that stuff later. Now is not the time. You're letting yourself get distracted."

"You're the one who started it."

I hear a grumble and then the reaper goes back to being silent.

"Maka? Meister…come on," I whine. "Help me out here. I can't figure out where I'm going. I'm a weapon. This tromping around searching for souls stuff really isn't my department."

I walk to the other end of the main room, but there aren't any doors there. I look behind pictures and check out seams in the flooring, but I'm getting nowhere. Time for a desperate measure.

"Maka, I'm going to write you a song. It's a love song so you'll never get to hear it if you don't give me a hint of where you're at, because I'm going to play it this one time." I think in my head of a tune and then say. "Ok. Yah, ready?"

I ding a few notes out on the xylophone and then begin singing, "Oh, my dear…you needn't cry because I'll be with you tonight. Even though we've had a fight it doesn't mean we won't be together tonight. Because I love you and you love me. I even miss your bitchin' can't you see? So let's make up and get back to makin' out because it ain't right for us to be alone. Not tonight."

I sing it along with accompaniment on the xylophone feeling extremely conspicuous because I'm sure that Kid hears it, but thankfully he makes no comment. I try to come up with a second verse but then I swear I hear something from behind the wall too…

"Soul?"

It's her. To my left the wall opens toward me to reveal a hidden opening. Even the pictures hanging on the wall bend to accommodate the opening of a door that wasn't visible from my side.

"Soul!" she says happily and I toss the xylophone aside as I hop up and run over to her.

"Maka! You're ok!"

"Of course, I am. I was just reading. Come on in. My book is just getting to the good part! I can't believe you're here…how'd that happen?"

I shrug. I'd rather not get into all that right now. I need to access what I can do here to transform my sleeping beauty back into Meister Maka.

As I pass through the threshold she shuts it behind me and I see that from her side the door is heavy and wooden and ornately carved with images inspired by fairy tales. Even the doorknob is fancy, it's egg shaped instead of round and has an ornamental design on it.

I step into this room and smile because, of course, Maka's place is a gigantic library. I was born into a well to-do family so I've seen decadent rooms before, but this outdoes any and every library I've ever seen even in magazines. Two sets of stairs, one on either side of the room, lead to a mezzanine with a second level of bookcases and seating. Each floor sports stately windows and at the far end is a huge fireplace making a cozy spot for mid-winter reading.

Despite the fact it has that book store smell it isn't dark and dusty, but full of warm sunshine that streams in from the windows and it feels like a happy, joyous place to be.

"Have you read all these?" I ask gesturing around the room with a swing of my arm.

"Not all of them- some I've only flipped through, but all the ones in that section over there" she points to several bookcases to our left "I've read and really enjoyed…And that tiny pile over there are the ones I thought were _super_ dumb" She points to one shelf that has a few stacks of books that instead of standing upright are sitting in a heap. "And those are biographies of people I admire…" She points to a spot on the right hand side of the mezzanine…and that big section over there are all the books I've studied on meistering and demon weapon mysticism." The meistering section appears to be one of the largest in the place taking up nearly a quarter of the main floor's bookcases.

My heart swells with pride seeing the shelves devoted to our craft. I'm really lucky to have a partner who works so hard. She's absolutely amazing how she can study so much and get such good grades and still read all those other books.

"And you wonder why I never get you books as presents. I would never know what to get you. You've already read so many."

"There's always more good books out there."

I follow her to the middle of the room where there is a maroon overstuffed chair that has a book sitting on it with a ribbon bookmark dangling from it. She picks up the book and pulls her legs up under her the way she so often does and is immediately absorbed by the contents of it.

I'm so focused on watching her for any signs of illness or possession that I trip over something next to her seat. Looking down I see a burgundy bean bag chair and sitting next to it is a white cardboard comics box labeled _Skeletoxin_ on its side in black permanent marker. She may not have been expecting me, but she has been prepared for my arrival nevertheless.

I toss myself down on the beanbag chair more than happy to chill out for a while, though I don't take my eyes off her. She _seems_ to be acting totally normal. No aggression. No collapsing or weakness. No slave owner mentality…but I know that demons and their influence can be dangerously subtle at times and I'm not ready to let my guard down yet, not completely anyway.

Sensing that I'm watching her she looks up from her book. "I'm sorry, Soul. I'm not being a good hostess am I?"

"It's ok. I don't mind," I say trying to act natural as I continue to scan her for any sign that she's as bad off as her physical self appears in the real world. "Nice place you got here, if you like books."

"There's music too," she points to a record player on one of the walls. The shelves beside it appear to be housing at least a hundred vinyl albums. She smiles at me sweetly. "And there's a piano upstairs." I can read in her eyes that she is looking for my approval. She wants to know if I'm ok with the fact her mind has morphed to accommodate my interests, too, meaning her mind has literally been changed by being a part of my life. After all this time does she still fear I might freak out? I care for her every bit as much as she cares for me. It's goofy she finds that so hard to believe sometimes.

I smile at her. "That's super cool."

"Would you like to play?" she asks pointing to the grand piano that I now notice on the mezzanine.

"Not right now, maybe a little later. Thanks, though. How ya feeling?" I ask casually.

"Fine, why? Is something wrong?"

"No." I lie. Maybe I should be honest, but she seems ok right now and I don't want to rock the boat. Maybe if I'm honest with myself I just want to have these moments with her be as close to normal as it can be in case this is our last time together.

Spying a pile of especially thick tomes sitting near her chair, I tease her. "Are those sitting there so you can have easy access to them when I piss you off?"

She laughs, but stops abruptly. Her body droops for a moment and then suddenly her laugh resumes and she pops back up as though she didn't notice the pause.

Something is not right.

"What's your book about?"

"Oh, it's really good. It's about this girl who lives on a space colony where every third child is made a slave while the first two reap the benefits of the labor of the third children and the first borns have control over everything. She's a third born, but her older sibling died at such a young age her mother is trying to pass her off as a…." Her head droops a little and then she raises her head drowsily and blinks. "That's weird. I forgot what I was saying. Oh, well," she says with a half-smile.

She goes back to her book and I continue to watch her and I finally manage to put my finger on what's wrong. In all this time she hasn't flipped the page. Either that book has the world's smallest print or she's rereading the same pages over and over again.

So, there is something wrong. I look around. I don't see anything else that seems weird. I open the box of comics and pull out my favorite issue, No. 34 the first appearance of Sir Commodore. I open the issue and find most of it is blank.

"You'll have to fill it in with your mind…'cause I can't since I haven't read it," Maka explains not looking up from her book.

"But the cover-"

"I've seen it a million times. You read it like every other week."

"I'm not _that_ obsessed." Sir Commodore is this ship captain that travels through time. He isn't exactly a villain, but he's opportunistic and will side with whoever benefits him more at the moment. "He's an absolute awesome character, but I'm not like fangirl crazy over him or something."

"Yes, you are! You-"

Again her speech stops abruptly and her head droops. When she comes to this time she seems tired and yawns, but she finally turns a page in her book.

Maybe I was wrong about the page turning thing…maybe this book has just got a really elaborate plot and for that reason she is reading slower than usual. I'm used to comics and you can read those super-fast. Then her body suddenly sags, the book dropping from her hand.

I leap up from the beanbag chair. It's not unusual for my meister to fall asleep while reading, but I don't think that's what's happening.

"Maka, Maka, speak to me," I say crouching in front of her.

She says nothing, but lifts her head. I'm gonna feel _really_ stupid if she did just fall asleep.

"Soul?" she asks seeming confused.

"Tired?" I ask.

She nods.

"How bout you come with me over by the fire?"

Time is strange in this place. When I got here there was sunlight streaming through the windows, but now it is quickly getting dark outside and a warm fire burns in the hearth. I sit down in a chair by the fire and she sits in my lap her legs hanging over the arm of the chair. I pull a blanket over her.

"Oh, Soul. I love you," she says kissing me.

"Love you, too."

"Sorry, I'm so sleepy."

"It's ok. How bout I read to you?"

She tips her head and narrows her eyes. "Who are you and what have you done with Soul?"

"Ha, ha. I'm not as illiterate as you make me out to be."

She giggles knowing full well that her teasing has not hurt my feelings.

Her eyes flutter shut and while it looks peaceful I do _not_ want her to fall asleep. Something tells me that if she goes unconscious here I will have lost her. I reach over to the table to the right of the chair determined to read whatever it is in hopes it will hold her attention.

I look down at it, "_Poems of Love Thru the Ages._" I sigh. Poetry! It _has_ to be poetry.

"Well, looks like you'll be having your own private poetry reading this evening."

I flip through the book to find something that seems interesting and then I feel her body going limp.

Oh, no. No! Come on, Maka. Don't do this to me here, too.

"Maka, we can fight this thing together," I whisper to her.

"Soul?" Her eyes meet mine and I can almost feel the fog her mind is clouded with right now.

I hear a crash. "What is that?" She says pointing to something behind me over my shoulder.

I stand up with her in my arms, the blanket and book falling onto the floor. I turn and see that her library is being stretched and morphed into a purplish blob headed our way. The enemy has broken through. I'm staring right at the infection and if it's here that means it's reached her brain.

I look down at her and see that she has fallen unconscious and I scream.

The infection has reached her mind.

One moment she is sitting up marveling at the breakthrough of my poetry appreciation and the next she is crashed out on the floor. The door gives way with a crash and I scoop her up over my shoulder and reach for the only weapon I can see- one of two swords crossed over the fireplace. I run as fast as I can toward the stairs as the purple blob monster sefuses into the library trying desperately to reach her. I run up the stairs and put her in a chair on the second floor and go to hold my ground on the stairs. I pull books off the shelves and throw them at the monster to slow it down but eventually it is lapping at the bottom three stairs and I am standing there stabbing and waving the sword.

"You want her you're going to have to take me down first. We are one in soul, body, and mind. Ha, you thought you had here, huh? Well, there's still plenty of life left in me asshole. Just you try."


	38. Chapter 38: On His Knees

**Risenfromash: **Sorry, for the erratic chapter sizes, but I'm challenging myself to write this fairly quickly and not be as agonizingly perfectionistic as I can sometimes be. Death the Kid and I may have some things in common. So, just a warning- this chapter is short and ends on a cliffhanger, but I won't be leaving you hanging as I'm posting chapter 39 right now, too.

_**Chapter 38: On His Knees; Is There No Escape?**_

One moment she's awake ribbing me about my disinterest in literary works, the next she lies limp in my arms. I've lost her in the real world…and now it seems I'm destined to lose her here, too.

The other side of the room is twisting and bending as though the library is merely a printed image being manipulated by a computer. The beautiful, peaceful world of Maka's creation is being destroyed before my very eyes…

But that is why I'm here and that's why Kid, Patti, and Liz are risking their lives and trying the unprecedented because we don't let a friend go down without a fight. I look around for anything I can use as a weapon. Everywhere I look there are only books and furniture…nothing very helpful until purely out of frustration I turn back to the fireplace and for the first time notice two crossed swords above it.

I set Maka at my feet and pull both of the swords down hoping they aren't purely ornamental. I take a swing at the chair and the sword slices through the upholstery with ease. Thank you, Lord Death. I'll be taking these and my meister upstairs now. I slide the swords into my belt and throw Maka over my shoulder.

"Kid, can you hear me?" I shout. I doubt that he has the capacity to since I'm now in Maka's mind and not his, but I call his name a couple more times just in case.

If I can make it up the stairs I can maybe control the infection by limiting the distortion's ability to reach us…I'm not sure, but it feels better than waiting here by the fire. I run for the nearest stairwell to the mezzanine, Maka in my arms and the swords banging into my legs with each step. This is one of those times I wish I were a bit taller as the blasted things are awfully long.

At the top of the stairs I find a reading nook, a bench with a padded seat. I start to set her on it, but the world outside the window is so black it seems menacing and I worry…could it reach her from the outside? I yank the pad off tossing it on the floor in front of the window seat and then proceed to place my meister down on it.

Maka is still breathing, but she's looking pale and feels clammy to my touch. It sickens me to see her like this and unable to kickass in the way she is meant to. My instinct to come upstairs seems to have been a good one as the distortion seems to be concentrating on the lower level near the door I entered, though it is slowly and steadily coming my way.

It's then I hear a laugh, a cackle that sounds more like the cawing of a crow than the laughter of a man. "Oh, Soul Eater, you don't know when to quit, do you?" I recognize the voice. It's Falconer. I growl. "Your precious meister has been defeated leaving Avian Flu as the victors over you both."

"Maka and I are not defeated until I say we are," I say taking a sword in each hand. I attempt to get a feel for their weight by swirling them in the air. I've always wanted to take up fencing and now I wish I had instead of wasting my time with video games and composing music no one besides me enjoys, but now is not the time for regrets. I have to just give this my all and know that no matter what happens I did the best I could do which is what I've always promised Maka.

Another chorus of voices speaks in unison, "We've heard all about you, Soul Eater."

"Then I'm sure you've heard that I do whatever necessary to protect my meister."

"Yeeessss," the choir of voices says. "We have heard that, but the rules of engagement are _so_ different here. There is so very little that you can do, especially against something as powerful as the Avian Flu."

"That's right," the disembodied voice of Falconer says. "Were you to give up I wouldn't think less of you. She _is _over ninety-percent ours now. Meister Maka will be such a wonderfully loyal Avian Flu disciple."

"In your dreams," I spit out the words facing the oncoming distortions. I hate that these fuckers can taunt me and I can't even see to attack them properly.

"Ninety-two percent," the choir says as the bending and twisting approaches. The far side of the library is gone now having swirled into a black hole of nothingness. Is that what Maka's brain will become, that amazingly smart mind thrown away to be replaced by a brainwashed shell? For some I suppose breathing in and out defines living, but that is no life for her. Every day she greets with questions, curiosity and hard work. For Maka, life is challenging the status quo and never accepting second best. She gives her all to what she cares about. That's _life_ for my meister and whatever these assholes think they can give her isn't that.

I dash toward the approaching anomalies and hit them with my sword. I'm duel wielding, but fortunately piano playing has made me a little more ambidextrous than the average person.

"You're wrong. She's one hundred-percent _mine_."

"I warned you that you would lose, but you have persisted." Falconer's voice complains. "It's rather annoying. I'll see to it that they don't go easy on you but instead kill you in the most agonizing way possible. Maybe I'll tell them to pull you apart limb from limb or nail you up at the school as a warning to all those other idealists there that think that they can rid the world of evil. Evil will always exist and before long it will rule!"

I watch as the base of the stairs begins to twist and my chest gets tight. We have only minutes before it reaches us. My swings at the distortions slow it's progression down some, but I can think of nothing I can do to stop it and the more I face the visual representation of the destruction of Maka's mind the weaker I get. My head aches and I have a horrible sense of vertigo. I'm beginning to lose my balance and it now takes as much effort to stand as it did to fight only a few minutes ago.

The distortions are now coming at us from all sides, closing in on the little island of tapestry on which my meister rests.

I will not be ending this tale as the gallant hero. I'm feeling far too weak. I think I'm going to collapse. "Kid?!" I shout again. I'm not too proud to ask for help and I need it now. I step back to right in front of my meister still clutching the two swords.

I take a sideways glance out the window, maybe we can escape that way. I pivot and shatter the glass with the sword in my right hand, but without the window pane it's now easier for me to see that there are distortions closing in on us there, too. Dammit! I fall to my knees in front of Maka. I'm out of ideas.

"You are too funny, Soul Eater. You really are willing to die rather than see her taken by us…too bad that's not how it works. We will claim her and then we will be forced to annihilate you in the real world. I wish it were more simple, because you're so vulnerable and weak-"

"I am _**not**_ _weak_, if I were Maka would never have chosen me as her partner."

We are now completely surrounded by purplish-gray swirls and the black hole is creeping ever closer. No part of the library remains intact except for the four or five square feet my meister and I are refusing to relinquish. Even the window seat behind us is starting to bend and twist.

Fighting back the urge to throw up I stand. I feel as though I'm being suffocated. I think the oxygen is being sucked up from the room by the black hole. I swing the blades whacking first right, then left.

"You…will…not…take…her!" I growl. I am an animal protecting its den and it's young.

"Ninety-five percent," the choir announces.

I feel weaker than I have ever felt. It's like I'm being drained of energy. Perhaps, our minds have been linked for so long I have gotten the infection. At this point I would not be surprised; we've pass the Black Blood between us this way before.

"I don't care what you say! **You will **_**not **_**take her.**"

A horrible thought crosses my mind. The enemy is so close and Kid said she would live on, but not as the real Maka…not as the Maka we know and love. I only have enough strength for a few more swings of the blade before I collapse...or one really big finishing move.

There is nothing I can do…the loss is inevitable at this point.

I fall to my knees beside her, letting go of both swords. I bring her close to me and hug her, my tears showering her with moisture.

The rules of the universe are so different here that I don't even know if this will work, but I have to try. I have to prevent Avian Flu from getting one of the DWMA's greatest meisters.

I whisper in her ear, "Maka, I'm enacting protocol one hundred-sixty-three. I promise I did all I could, meister."

I reach for the sword to my right and tighten my hand on the hilt.

"Please forgive me, Maka and know that I will always love you" and with all the strength I can muster I slam the sword into her chest. Blood begins pouring from the wound yet I don't stop. I drive it ever deeper into her not stopping until I feel it ripping through her back and then I fall face forward on top of my best friend whom I have hopefully just killed and my world fades to black as Maka dies.


	39. Chapter 39: Purgatory for Pervs

_**Chapter 39: Purgatory for Pervs; Heaven Can Wait?**_

Soft…soft lips upon mine. Warmth…a pleasant warmth pressing into me creating a simmer deep in my soul. Mmmmmm. Is this heaven? I crack an eye open. It's Maka and she's on top of me so I'm guessing we're both dead. Funny, Avian Flu didn't think I could get killed while in her mind, but whatever. I'm not gonna complain. We're together and this is _definitely_ not purgatory. My arms wrap around her, my hands traveling below her waist to grab her ass. So, she and I failed to save the world, at least we died trying and now it appears we can just spend an eternity making out. There are way worse things.

"Soul, you were amazing," she whispers in my ear before I smash my lips into hers. I am holding nothing back as I pull her close to me grinding my groin into her pelvis as my tongue invades her mouth. It's so great to have her responding to my touch again and to feel her wavelength in sync with mine. I'm going to take her right _here_ and _now_.

"God! Get a room you two! Seriously! We're right here ya know." My lips freeze in their spot on Maka's and my eyes roll in the direction of Liz's voice. Liz, Patti, and Kid are standing at our bedside with Rax standing on her hind legs on the table, every single one of them has their jaws hanging wide open. I guess it's one thing to have your suspicions that two people are physically intimate with one another and entirely another to see them playing tonsil hockey right in front of you.

"Yeah, you better knock it off or you'll get my sister all horny and Kid _hates_ it when she's like that. She gets all grabby. Kind of like _you_, Soul," Patti says matter-of-factly.

Normally, I would glare at her or hide in the corner out of embarrassment for getting caught feeling up my partner, but I don't fucking care about anything aside from Maka at this moment. She's alive. We're both alive! One of my hands releases its grasp upon my incredibly sexy meister and points to the door. "Out. All four of you. Out, now!" I order.

"Yes, let's give them some time," Kid says grabbing his coat and hat.

"You better not be thinking you're going outside to smoke," Patti says following right behind her meister while Liz chimes in, "Yeah, Kid, we've talked about this. Patti and I don't like you doing self-destructive behaviors."

"The only self-destructive behavior I do is having you as partners!" He shouts in exasperation.

"Oh, you don't mean that, Kid. You know you love us," Liz says as she pulls on her coat and holds out a hand for Rax to climb into.

Maka points to the mouse inquiringly.

"Later," I tell her. "There will be plenty of time for explanations later, but we have like five minutes for _this_ tops." And then I am all over her. I don't fucking care about anything. I'm so happy to hear her voice again and feel the touch of her skin that I could just hug her all night, but I can't help myself from doing other things a part of me still thinks that this is some kind of dream I'm going to wake up from at any moment.

"Oh, Soul," she whines in my ear and then starts sucking on the ear lobe. "I love you so much and I want you _so_ bad."

"You've had me feeling pretty pervy. I'm not sure a guy is supposed to be as turned on by someone in a coma as you've made me," I whisper in her ear. "I love you, Maka."

She laughs at me. "So much you even missed my bitchin', huh?"

I blush. She remembers that, huh?

"When do I bitch?" she asks as though she has no idea.

"All the time," I say sucking on her neck. "Whenever I drink out of the milk carton, forget my dirty clothes in the bathroom, eat more than my share of the chocolate in the trail mix, make us late to class-"

"Hhhhmmm. Yes, what exactly are your redeeming qualities again?"

I laugh. "Nice. I carry you all the way to a safe house in BFE and you start thinking maybe I'm not boyfriend material."

"I'm still kissing you," she points out as her lips torture me with kisses in the crook of my neck.

"Yeah, well you better stop, because…we do have company." She sighs and I inhale deeply. I've totally and completely blue balled myself, but I can't help it. Now that I'm her boyfriend, I sometimes find it too hard to hold her and not kiss her. "God, what I wouldn't give to get you alone right now…for more than a couple minutes."

"Later," she says to me.

I nod. Yes, we really do need to attend to business right now, but it's really not my fault I'm worked up. I just stabbed her and somehow as if by magic she's here awake and alive again. _Damn, I'm one lucky dude._

"We better let them know they can come back in," I tell her.

"One more minute, please, just one more minute," she says pressing her lips into mine and moaning. "Ohhh, Sooouuulll. I want you."

Oh, meister that is not going to help me tear myself away! I close my eyes. Focus, Soul, focus! "Maka, they _did_ help me save you so it would be a little rude to tell them to get lost for too long."

"I suppose."

"We'll sneak off later…just the two of us. Ok?"

She nods and smiles and I give her a final little love bite on the neck.

"All clear," I yell pulling myself from her.

"See, I told you they could do it fast," Patti says whacking Kid in the arm as they come back in. The reaper grunts and his eyes meet mine with an exasperated look. I nod. He _does_ seem to have his hands full with his two ladies these days.

"I'm starving," I say as I go to hop off the bed. I fall; my legs aren't working. "What the fuck?" I exclaim looking down at my legs to see if they somehow fell off me or something.

Liz runs over to help me up as Maka reaches for me from the bed commenting, "Soul, you better not get up for a while. I sort of drained your energy."

"That's what having a quickie that fast will do to ya," Liz says flicking me in the forehead as she helps me back onto the bed.

Maka shakes her head and laughs. "No, I stole his stamina when I was about to be lost to the infection, but I didn't tell him I did. Stuff was happening pretty fast."

"You did what?" I ask. My brain is still kind of foggy…and apparently my body isn't doing so great either.

"Well, I could kind of hear what was going on and I realized there was only so much you could do in my mind…you could manipulate things. Like making the swords appear above the fireplace and moving the stairs closer to you-"

"I did what?"

"Soul, I didn't have swords above the fireplace. _You _did that."

"I did?"

"Does decorating with swords seem to fit with my style of home décor?"

I tip my head and smirk at her. "I know a scythe you seem to like."

She ignores my comment and starts addressing the group. "Soul could manipulate the environment some but he didn't realize what he was doing, so that didn't offer him the kind of control needed to succeed in fighting the infection. So, I sort of parasitically drained your energy so that I could fight back after he killed me."

"What?!" every person in the room shouts.

"Oh, yeah. I forgot you guys didn't know. Soul enacted protocol one-hundred-and-sixty-three."

The room erupts into a bunch of yelling as my fellow weapons accuse me of having prematurely given up on my meister, Rax asks what protocol one-hundred-and-sixty-three is, Maka and I start trying to explain that there was nothing else I could do given the circumstances and Kid tries unsuccessfully to settle down his partners. Finally, he gives up on the subtle approach and grabs the cast-iron skillet that is still sitting on the table from earlier in the evening and bangs it like a gavel in the courtroom. "Quiet! Quiet down everyone!" He shouts.

We all shut up, but I sneer at Patti and she sticks her tongue out at me.

"How could you kill Maka?" she asks me.

"Hey, hey, Patti," Maka says running to her. "Soul was just doing his job…what he did made sense at the time, believe me. I'm not mad at him at all. He made the right call. He's an amazing partner."

I wish I had a tape recorder right now. I need to play that back to her the next time she gets all pissy with me because I disagree with one of her plans.

Liz ignores Maka's comments, "What? You didn't trust that Patti and I could make the antidote? You think we were too dumb or something?"

"No, of course not, Liz, but I couldn't communicate with you guys and we were about one minute from losing her. It's not like I wanted to do it. Believe me. I love her more than anything you know that."

Patti squeals with delight at my words and Kid rolls his eyes. He is going to have a very hard time getting any of us to focus on our missions this evening.

"And you gotta understand…I couldn't fight any longer. I was on the verge collapse. The infection was taking hold of me, too."

"That's not actually true," Maka says to me. "The sick feeling you experienced was probably me vamping all your energy. I managed to get enough energy from you that when you passed out I came to and was able to have the energy to fight back more aggressively than I could before you arrived and because it was _my_ mind I was actually able to get the infection retreating some."

"Meanwhile," Kid interjects. "Patti and Liz assembled the antidote and administered it to you enabling you to clear or mostly clear the infection so that you could wake up."

"So, I'm not infected?" I ask.

"No, I don't think so," Maka says. "I mean, I can't be sure, but I'm guessing not."

"I thought for sure I was," I laugh. "I felt _**awful**_."

"I think that the ill feelings you were getting were because I was sucking the life out of you."

"But I suspect that Maka _sucking_ you is nothing new, Soul." Liz says. I guess she must not be as pissed off as she was just a minute ago if she's throwing out innuendo again. Maka and I blush and I think Kid kicks Liz to get her to knock it off.

"Maka, just do me a favor, don't do that life sap thing again anytime soon, ok? I feel like I've been hit by a truck."

"Ok, and please don't stab me in the chest, again."

"Aw, Maka, you take all the fun out of everything," I say sarcastically as I adjust the pillows so I can sit more comfortably and still see everyone.

"Shinigami, you guys are so cute it makes me sick," Liz says curling her lip in disgust.

"About that…" Maka says casting a look at me. "Could you guys maybe not mention it to anyone else at school? Soul and I were kind of hoping to keep it a little quiet that we're-"

"Doin' the nasty?" Patti says gleefully.

"Bumpin' uglies?" offers Liz.

"In love," says Kid glaring at his partners. "You two are so obsessed with sex!"

Liz and Patti shrug. "Sorry, Kid, we sometimes forget that you pretend to be a prude when people are around."

"I do not!" Kid replies in a fluster. "At any rate, Maka, Soul, don't worry we _won't say anything to anybody._ _**Right, ladies?**_"

"Right, Cap'in," Patti says saluting her meister.

"Yeah, whatever," Liz says unenthusiastically.

"Alright then!" Kid interjects trying to steer us back to more productive topics. "Now, Patti can you please make us some food. Soul, you need to stay in bed. I think it's going to take you a few hours to recover and we need to get some protein into you." Liz starts to open her mouth, but he gives her such an angry look she clamps her mouth shut without making any blowjob jokes. "Maka, how are you feeling?"

"Pretty good."

"Good, we'll need to attend to your dressings and see how things are looking and you may have some side effects from the antidote, but hopefully it's kicked the entire toxin from your system. We also need to talk about our next move. I just spoke to my father and got an update on what's going on and we have some options."

"Options? Wow!" I marvel. "I guess being Lord Death's son has its benefits."

"And its drawbacks. My father has Joe working on a special device that would allow him to call me. It's something _special_ for _me_," Kid grumbles.

"You mean _he_ could call _you_?" I ask shocked.

"Yes," Kid groans. "Why would anyone ever want that?


	40. Chapter 40: Witty Repartee

**Risenfromash: **Please don't expect action this chapter because you will be disappointed if you do. Instead, I had the challenge of writing a scene where five people are talking. One of my pet peeves as a reading is when I can't tell who is speaking so I tried to have it clear who was speaking without constantly ending every sentence in "says so and so". I'm sure it could improve, but as a former thespian I believe that the show must go on and so without further ado here is the next chapter…

_**Chapter 40: Witty Repartee; Different Patterns for Different Folks?**_

Kid asks Rax to keep watch while all of us catch up and have some R and R. Unable to get up, Maka brings me some crackers and water while Patti surveys the canned food cache trying to decide what to feed all of us, but for once my mind isn't on food. I'm eager to hear what Kid and the girls have learned about Avian Flu while on their mission, because I don't feel like we've made much progress other than killing Falconer and since I had I had a conversation with Falconer _after_ we fucking killed him, I'm no longer sure we even managed to end him. Demons never want to stay dead. It's like Medusa all over again…except of course no one munched on her soul after Professor Stein defeated her. Spirit needs to take a page from my book and swallow those mother fuckers.

"How'd it go with Muscovy?" Maka asks the trio.

"We got him, but the news from my father-"

"Isn't good," Liz interrupts. "Black*Star and Harvar are still missing and now Tsubaki's gone off on her own to try to find them."

I shake my head. I thought Tsubaki was smarter than that.

"And they aren't the only ones unaccounted for. Robin and Geoffrey failed to check in today," Kid says darkly.

"You sure Robin and Geoffrey didn't get too busy swapping spit to check in?" Patti says hopefully. The meister and his weapon partner, a bow named Geoffrey, are notorious for public make out sessions. For a while there was a daily betting pool as to where they would park themselves at lunch to enjoy one another's company. I once won $50 bucks when someone stumbled upon them mid make out session in the school's walk-in freezer.

"Well, let's hope so, but I doubt it. I've heard that they aren't like that when they're on missions. Unlike one _highly_ unprofessional meister/weapon team that shall remain nameless," he says grinning at Maka who has her hand resting on my upper thigh. She blushes a little.

"Thanks, dude, Maka and I really appreciate that," I tell him and a big smile spreads over his face. It's the first time he's grinned since he got here, I swear.

"So,_ five _Crescent Moon students are missing?" Maka asks.

Liz nods. "Well, _technically_ Tsubaki isn't missing. She told Hiro she was leaving, but swore him to secrecy until she would be out of Death City."

"He shouldn't have let her go by herself." I'm pissed. Isn't that dude good for _anything_?! "He should have talked her out of it or told Lord Death before she snuck away." There are few things in life this black and white. Don't go demon hunting alone is one of those hard and fast rules…or at least it's a rule until you're a bonafide DeathScythe and then you're such a badass it no longer matters.

Liz shrugs, "You know Hiro. He probably felt so happy to be included in a secret plan he didn't think about the implications, plus I'm sure he's still high as a kite on pain meds right now."

"Wonderful," I grumble.

"I can't believe Tsubaki would abandon her post. She knows she has a job to do," comments Maka.

"It doesn't surprise me," Patti sing-songs as she stirs the contents of the pot on the fire. "She's in love with Black*Star." No one argues this point even though I can think of about a _million_ reasons why if I were a chick I would _not_ fall in love with Black*Star of all people.

"And it sounds like Tsubaki did wait until her team's goal was met. She just took off before she got reassigned. Lord Death says that they're confident that what the birdbrains were aiming for was infiltrating the library's archive." I look to Maka, my personal library expert, to tell me what the hell would be located in the archive that would be of interest to a bunch of demons.

"I thought nothing important gets put in the archive," Patti says.

"I guess it depends on how you define important," Kid says with a shrug. "The archive contains registration info, grades, personal data, that sort of thing."

"Why would they want our grades? If that's what they were after they could have just asked. I would have sent 'em a transcript," I snort.

"We don't know, but there is little doubt that the archive is what they were after. Not magic tools, not any of the ancient tomes in the restricted section, just the archive which they did manage to get into and steal a bunch of files."

"That's crazy," I grunt in between swigs of water.

"Probably not. They seem to have some kind of plan or method to their madness. It's just hard for us to fathom what it could be. Why did they want Maka, Liz, and me alive, but you and Patti dead?" Kid asks and we all shake our heads.

"Well, I'd say they were only after meisters and don't care about the weapons," I muse. "But Liz breaks the pattern."

"That's me! Always the rule breaker," she says winking at Kid with a self-satisfied grin on her face.

Patti shrugs, "Maybe Soul and I are just too cool to turn into birds. I know I'd much rather become a giraffe." Kid smiles at her lovingly and I notice Liz watching him gaze at her sister. What the fuck is going on with those three? Could Kid be falling for Patti?! Black*Star will never let him live that down if that's what's up.

Ugh. Right, Black*Star is missing. Fuck, for all I know he could be dead. This fucking sucks. I get a thrill out of demon hunting and whenever we do it I know we're risking our lives, but dealing with these Avian Flu bastards feels different. It feels as though Avian Flu is trying to commit genocide on all that the DWMA stands for and I'm man enough to admit that I'm actually scared. I don't doubt my friends' skills and smarts, but if Avian Flu has managed to kill or capture a meister whose as strong a fighter as Black*Star it really worries me. Our enemy no longer seem like the pushovers those idiots at the daycare were and the DWMA is the only family I've got these days other than Wes and Grammy…ugh, Soul, don't let yourself get depressed. Focus on the fact that thanks to the help of your friends you brought Maka back from the dead. That's something right? Seems like you got a miracle even though you don't believe in them.

I raise my aluminum mug in salute to Kid, "Who knows, but they'd be dumb to kill Lord Death's own son. He's a whiz with the antidotes and talk about leverage…if they could manage to hold ya."

"They only _wish_ they could get a hold of me." He remarks smugly.

Patti and Liz beam with pride. "Nobody's gonna take our meister," they say in unison.

"But it's funny you talk about leverage," Kid continues. "Because when Muscovy and I were bantering-"

"Yakking your damn mouths off you mean," Liz grumbles the smile on her face suddenly completely gone.

"Part of our job is to collect intelligence. It's extremely important. You get the enemy talking and their hubris-"

Liz cuts off her meister. "Yeah, well in the time the two o' you were chewin' the fat me and Patti took out nine demons by ourselves. Next time maybe you can try speed dating instead of a lengthy courtship."

"I resent that! You were doing _just fine_. Had you been struggling I would, of course, have sped things up but-"

"Liz, it's not Kid's fault he likes the sound of his own voice." Patti says matter-of-factly, "Witty repartee is his thing."

Liz rolls her eyes, "All I'm saying is that someday Kid's gonna get us killed because he won't shut the fuck up."

Kid glares at Liz. "Liz, I realize that I may not always do things the way _you_ would choose to, but I think we have a very good safety record-"

"We could have taken them _all_ down if you hadn't insisted on talking with Muscovy about the damn weather."

"We were _not_ talking about the weather!"

"Yes, you were. I heard you. It was the whole 'looks like today is a good day to enter the realm of the dead' talk. It's old and clichéd. You need a new shtick."

Kid stands up, outraged. "Shtick! I'm a _reaper_! I'm _supposed _to tell the enemy it is a good day to die and that I am ridding the planet of their worthlessness. That's my _job_. I'm also supposed to say that I'm executing judgment on them, but I don't bother with that part. There exist too many shades of grey in this world; I don't want to end up in some kind of debate mid duel."

"All I'm saying is you can be your own person, Kid. You don't need to emulate your dad in _every _way."

Kid's lips twitch in anger. "Liz!"

Patti rolls her eyes and shouts over her bickering partners as she hands Liz some dinner in a tin cup. "What I think Kid was going to say before he and sis started fighting was that when he mentioned leverage Muscovy got all confused and laughed."

Suddenly reminded of the original point of the conversation, Kid sits back down and composes himself, but he continues to glare at the taller of his two partners, his lips pressed together to form a thin line as though restraining himself from saying more. "Liz, I will take your input under advisement for future duels."

"_Thank you_. That's all I ask, Kid."

"_No_, that's _**not**_ all you ask of me, but I will refrain from arguing that point as I would so easily win." He takes a deep breath and then continues, "_Anyway_, Patti's right. Muscovy didn't seem to know anything about the taking of hostages."

"That's weird. Wasn't he one of the Avian Flu that was actually in DC during the attack?" Maka asks.

"Yes, we think he was the commander of the bombers. That's why we were in Idaho. We went to this ranch where a bunch of the flyers live or supposedly launch from, but they seemed to know we were coming. We got ambushed as soon as we arrived," Kid explains.

Maka's eyes meet mine and I know she's thinking the same thing I am, that if too many of our missions seem anticipated by the enemy it may mean Falconer wasn't bluffing and we do have a spy in Lord Death's trusted inner circle.

"We actually didn't end up seeing that many flyers," Liz comments. "Mainly just these ugly ass dwarves-one of them had this face that was all cattywhompis and another one had this big ol' club foot."

"I kinda felt sorry for them," Patti says quietly.

"We fought those same things! They're deformed or something and their souls taste nasty!" I complain.

Kid tips his head as he considers this. "What do they taste like?"

"Rubbery on the outside and raw on the inside."

"Raw on the inside…" He repeats the words to himself deep in thought.

"What connection do those demons have with Avian Flu?" says Maka challenging all of us to put on our thinking caps. "They don't look like they've soulmelded with birds."

"No," Patti says filling a tin cup with some sloop she has heated up and handing it to her meister. "They seem more like little kids."

Kid puts his finger up in the air. "Wait…what did you say?"

"I said they seem like little kids that's why I can't help but feel sorry for them. None of them brag like normal demons and a bunch of 'em ask to play, but they don't know how to play nice. They need to learn manners."

"Oh, my gosh!" Exclaims Maka. "You're right. One of the ones we fought sucked it's thumb and think of their attack names Princess Pound, Ball and Jax, Rumble Rocket they're all-"

I get really excited. I've got it! "Sex stuff? You got pounding, balls, and rumbling rockets…" I trail off as the look from Kid and Maka indicate to me that is most definitely _not_ the link between the attacks.

"I see having a girlfriend is not reducing Soul's preoccupation with sex," the reaper says as though he isn't just as horny and pervy as I am.

"Kid, were I able to stand up and walk over to you, I would totally punch you in the face right now," I threaten.

Kid turns to Liz. "See, _that_ is an example of time-wasting banter. It isn't _at all_ intimidating and it doesn't entice the opponent to-"

Maka raises her voice ignoring Kid and me. "No, they all sound like games or toys."

Kid blinks. "The ones we fought attacked us with…" he searches his memories for the attack names. "Pony Paddle, Kite Fight, and…"

"Stuffie Strangle," Liz grumbles. "That one was looooovvvveeellly, let me tell ya."

"But there does seem to be a pattern going here, right?" Maka says. I would love to point out that paddle and strangle could also be sex stuff from the BDSM end of the spectrum, but I think if I say that aloud Maka will punch me in the face so I remain silent.

Pondering aloud, Maka says, "What if they weren't taking the kids in DC as hostages, what if they were taking them to turn into reinforcements?

"You mean turning kids into demons?" Liz asks.

Kid's back straightens. "Maybe the deformities are some kind of side effect of stunted growth…like they've tried to accelerate their maturity and failed."

"Shit. That would make sense," I say finally able to pull my mind from the pattern that only I seem to have noticed.

"We need to talk with my father and see if he can contact the local newspaper and police department to find out if there have been increased numbers of missing children in the last few months and if so where."

"But," Maka turns to look at me tears pooling in the corners of her eyes. "Does that mean we've been killing little kids?"

The reality of our theory hits everyone in the room. Thinking about that spaghetti armed demon as somebody's baby makes me sad. We treated it like just another worthless demon, not like Stein when he was affected by the madness or even Crona when he was being ordered around by his mom.

Maka buries her head in my chest and I hold her. "Maka, we didn't know," I say quietly to her.

"But it doesn't matter. We killed little kids."

"But they were demons and when we kill demons we free them from a very tortured existence. You know that." I say rubbing her back, but I know I'm trying to convince her as much as myself that we haven't done something truly wrong.

"Maka, it sucks, but it isn't like when Medusa used that kid's body. These kids have become full-fledged demons and would be more than happy to kill us," Liz says. "Believe me. One of those fuckin' stuffies got Kid by the throat. It was all I could do to pry the blasted thing off him while Patti shot it."

Maka nods, but still doesn't raise her head.

"Still we need to do all we can to figure out if there is some kind of restorative magic that could be used on them." Kid watches Patti as he speaks as though his words are more for her than anyone else. "There may be some hope of transforming them back."

"I don't get it, though," grunts Liz in between bites of her slop. "If they needed an army, why take it from DC that day? Wouldn't they do better to get their army before attacking?"

"They probably figured the kids in DC had a higher likelihood of having innate magical abilities-"Kid says.

"Wait- the archive has files on each student, right?"

"Yes," Kid answers.

"Yes, my understanding is that there is a file kept on each student with personal information like their birth certificate, health record, their abilities and attacks-"

"Oh, no! Tsubaki and Marie!" Patti shouts almost dropping the tin of mush she was walking over to offer Maka.

Kid nods. "They could be targeted. Marie is a Deathscythe and Professor Stein is a powerful meister. You know that baby's gonna be a powerhouse. It's probably doing magic in the womb."

"But Kyo didn't have any magical ability did he?" Liz asks.

"Not that we know of," I say darkly. "But we're some of Tsubaki and Black*Star's closest friends and _we_ all assumed it was Black Star's kid-"

Maka raises her head and her eyes are bloodshot and puffy. "Avian Flu will make the same mistake," she says.

Patti stands there frozen no doubt imagining Tsubaki alone somewhere being set upon by a demon hoard. "But how will they know she's pregnant? She isn't even showing yet."

Kid grumbles. "Unfortunately, more and more things point to there being a spy within the DWMA or some kind of bug- like the snake Crona planted on Marie that allowed Medusa to listen and see all of our activities through Marie's eyes. We need to call Lord Death right now. He needs to get Tsubaki back right away and station someone with Marie and her at all times just to be on the safe side."

Liz produces a compact from her pocket and tosses it to Kid, who opens it and huffs on the makeup mirror and with a flourish of his fingers contacts Lord Death.

"Oh, hello my boy! How are you! I was just thinking about you! I can hardly wait until Joe finishes making that two way calling device-"

"Father, we have reason to believe that Avian Flu is using kids as part of their forces. We think they might be converting them into demons somehow."

"Children, you say. Dear, dear."

"You need to keep Marie and Tsubaki safe. Avian Flu is going to want those babies."

"Oh, well…that is a good point…" Lord Death says weakly.

"Father, what's wrong?"

"Well, I don't know where either of them is at the moment…Tsubaki left yesterday and Marie is on assignment."

"Fuck!" I shout. "Ah, sorry, Lord Death."

"That's alright," he squeaks. "This is an appropriate situation for use of the F-word if there ever was one. Dear me. Nothing but bad news today."

"What do you mean?" Maka asks wearily.

"Well, the _good _news is Harvar is back!" Lord Death says with a thumbs up which means the next thing to come out of his mouth will surely suck big time. "He says that Black*Star has been taken to a facility in Mexico but somehow Harvar managed to escape on route. We're happy he made it home…but I'm keeping him quarantined in the basement for now. One can never be too careful."

"Father, I request permission for Maka and Soul and Patti and Liz and I to go on a mission to retrieve Tsubaki as soon as possible and then proceed to this facility in Mexico."

"HHhhmmm. Do you have any idea where Tsubaki could be?"

"She may have headed back toward her homeland," Maka says. "But more likely she was trying to follow Black*Star and Harvar so I'd say we should start looking at the last place she knew they had checked in from."

"Alright, permission granted, but you will need to rest up. The road ahead of you will not be easy. I will see if Sid can make contact with Marie as soon as possible and I will think on this alchemy of turning youth into demons…I will need to reflect on that for a while before I can make sense of it. Good night!"

And with that the Lord of Death ended the transmission leaving Kid to grumble about his father's incompetence. "It would have been _nice_ if he told us where we were going. I guess we'll have to call him back in the morning. Sometimes, I wonder how in the world my father has remained supreme for so long when he is such an idiot."


	41. Chapter 41: Friends and Lovers

**Risenfromash: **So, my SoMa story is developing a significant subplot with our favorite reaper. Funny, since when I started writing Phoenix Wright I wasn't interested in writing anything about Miles Edgeworth and then he captured my mind and I ended up writing his own story, too. And that's what I'm planning to do here. Eventually, there will be a spin-off story about Kid, though I haven't decided whose POV it will be from- maybe 3rd person I don't know, but it will be quite a while till I post it because this story has a long way to go first

_**Chapter 41: Friends and Lovers; The Nature or Nurture of Attraction?**_

It is decided that since it is the middle of the night that we had better all get some rest before we make the long hike back to civilization. Since, Maka, Kid, and I are wiped out from sustained soul resonance Liz graciously offers to share the responsibility for watch with Rax and Patti. They split it up in one hour blocks so everyone has the chance to get some much needed rest. Our plan is to leave at first light after we get an idea from Harvar and Lord Death where to start the hunt for Tsubaki.

Kid's entire team insists that Maka and I share the bed as we are the most physically compromised at this point in time. The Thompsons shove the table to one side each of them rolling out a sleep matt to designate their makeshift bed. The two girls put theirs right next to each other and share a blanket. Kid settles himself a few feet away using only his peacoat as a blanket, but we keep the fire going all night to keep the place warm.

It's still dark when a noise rouses me from my sleep. The protective nature I have as a weapon makes me a light sleeper even when someone else is on watch duty, but I quickly recognize the disturbance as being nothing more than Liz and Kid talking to one another. I probably should quit listening, but I don't.

"Kid, she wants you. She's having nightmares again. I'll trade you spots."

I hear a shuffling and movement as Kid gets up to move next to Patti and Liz goes to the spot Kid had claimed as his.

"Patti, I'm here," Kid says gently. I think I hear some muffled whimpering. "You don't need to cry."

"I'm sorry, Kid. I'm just so scared."

"It's ok. Liz and I won't let anyone hurt you."

"I know that. I'm worried about you. I don't think I'm a good enough weapon for you."

"Oh?" Kid says sounding amused. "And why is that?"

"Because I don't think I could do what Soul did. I couldn't do that to you."

"Patti, being partners is all about trust. I trust that you will always do what you feel is best for me and for the goals of our team."

"But that's just it. I think I love you too much, Kid, I don't think I could ever enact protocol one hundred sixty-three even if it _was_ the best thing."

"Patti, please don't worry about that right now. You need your rest."

"Kid?"

"Yes, Patti."

"Thank you."

"For what?"

"For coming to snuggle with me."

"Of course, I'm always here when you need me. But you do need to scoot over. You're being a bit of a sleep matt hog. I expect that from Liz, but not from you."

I hear a giggle and some movement.

"Kid, kiss me goodnight."

"I don't think that's a good idea."

"Why? You kissed me and Liz-"

"I told you I was drunk and I wasn't thinking about the consequences. I was not in my right mind. I was so relieved that we had taken out Muscovy and managed to keep you alive that I got a little carried away while celebrating. I'm deeply sorry about that."

"But you don't have to be sorry about that-"

"Patti, it didn't mean anything. I was so wasted I would have kissed anyone."

"Would you have kissed Soul?"

I hear a grumble from the reaper.

"I would have kissed any _female_ who was looking cute. I temporarily succumb to my maleness."

"So…you think Liz and I are cute?"

"Of course. Now, Patti, please _go to sleep_."

"Why?"

"Because we need to get up early and hike to the nearest coach station or train station-"

"No. I mean why do you think Liz and I are cute?"

There is another long rumbling grumble that is clearly the reaper's. "Because you are. There's no denying it. Now please be quiet so we can get some rest. Here, I'll hold you if you want."

Once again, silence settles over the room. I can't help thinking that Kid is dancing on a tightrope with those two. Getting drunk and kissing them? Being on Patti's beck and call for affection?

"Patti!" I hear a startled squawk from the reaper. "For Shinigami's sake, Patti, we've been over this. There are some places you aren't allowed to touch without permission."

I think I hear a little giggle. "You're so mean to me, Kid."

"Yes, I'm terribly mean to my little princess."

"Kid, I love you."

"_Go to sleep._"

"But, Kid!"

"Now is not the time. If you refuse to sleep with me I'll trade places with Liz and you can try to sleep while she steals all your covers and your sleep mat."

"Hey, I heard that. It's not my fault I've got long legs." Liz says in a rather loud whisper. "And I'm not trading back. You two can deal with your issues. I'm determined to get some sleep."

And then silence returns to the cabin, this time for real, and I fall back asleep.

"Rise and shine, lovebirds," Liz says in my ear and I groan. How can it already be morning? Maka raises her head a little. Her face is plastered with her hair, and there are red creases running across her face from sleeping with her head on my chest. I try to slide out from under her desperately hoping my legs are working but not feeling super confident about it. One of them feels completely numb.

Kid's team have replaced the table and chairs in the middle of the room and Liz is throwing another log on the fire while Patti wanders around as though in a trance muttering to herself something about needing to make oatmeal.

"Where's Kid?" I ask noticing he isn't here.

"He went off to have a smoke. But don't tell him we know that's what he's doing. He thinks he's being mysterious."

Patti giggles. "He thinks as a reaper he's supposed to be all secretive and reserved and stuff. It's hilarious, because he can't keep a secret to save his life. He's so obvious about everything!"

"Why's it bother you that he smokes if it can't hurt him?" I ask.

The girls crinkle their noises and in unison say, "It makes him stink." Funny, I hadn't noticed the smell lingering on him, but then again I'm suspicious that these two get a _lot _closer to him than I do.

"Our meister is too classy to smell like a bar," Liz says poking at the fire.

I stretch my arms up into the air, gently pulling myself the rest of the way out from under Maka who appears to have dosed off again. Nervously, I swing my legs off the bed and put my feet down. They firmly plant themselves on the ground. I guess my leg must have just had its circulation cut off by my meister.

"I have been healed!" I shout.

Maka rolls over pulling her hair out of her face. "Good, cause I wasn't about to carry you," she says.

"Why not? That sounds like discrimination against weapons to me. It's ok for me to haul my meister all over hell and back, but you won't do the same for me?"

"Naw, we was gonna have her pull you on my ol' sled," chuckles Rax as she runs out from under the bed. "Now, kids I've collected up some things you might find useful in your travels that I had squirrelled away. It'll be a second, some are in my hole. Just a minute."

She disappears and comes back from under the bed dragging with her a Swiss Army knife. "Soul, you said you lost your knife and it isn't right to be out on adventures without one. So 'ere you go. Take good care of it. It were my husband's before he passed away."

I kneel down and offer my hand to her and she climbs into my palm dragging the knife behind her.

"Thanks, Rax. That's super nice of you."

"Oh, you're very welcome. You've been the nicest house guests I've had in a long time. Now put me back down so I can get the other things."

I place her back on the floor and she skitters across it, reappearing a few moments later with a slingshot. The handle of the pea shooter is in her mouth and she spits it out and tells Patti, "Sorry 'bout my slobber but this is for you. You should have a little something up you' sleeve, case you get separated from your sister and your meister."

Patti bounces with joy over to the gadget and picks it up stretching its catapult portion. "Thank you very much, Rax."

Rax disappears once again and returns with a leather cord in her mouth that has a silver whistle attached. "Liz, I thought this might come in handy at some point, but don't really know what for." Liz picks it up.

"Wow, it's got some really cool carvings on it. It reminds me of a gun my grandpa had."

"Yeah, it's old. From when they knew how to make things that lasted."

Kid reenters the cabin and Rax tells him he is just in time to get his gift from her.

"Liz, you're tall," the mouse comments. "Can you reach up on top of those cabinets over there? There should be a book there I think your meister will be a wantin'."

Liz reaches above the cupboards moving her hand from side to side till she finds something and brings it down along with a cloud of dust. Liz hands the book to Kid who opens it and reads the title.

"_Balanced Approaches to Witchcraft and Meistering. _Thank you, Rax."

"Wow. I don't think I've ever seen a book that includes both," Maka says with more than a hint of jealousy in her tone.

"Oh, now, don't you worry, girlie. I gots somethin' special for ya. Just a moment."

Rax reappears with a strand of black beads that shine like obsidian and pearls. Interspurced along the strand are beads that resemble skulls and in the middle is a larger black skull.

"It's enchanted so that only those back from the dead can wear it an' I recun with what you've been through the last few days that includes _you_. Now try it on. I wants to have a look at ya."

Maka picks up the necklace and pulls it over her head and Rax seems to smile…but she's a mouse so maybe I'm imagining it.

"Ooooohh. I thought so! Looks like it was made for ya. Witches will recognize it and know that it means you are a powerful magic user."

"Thank you, but it's too nice…"

"Naw, I can't wear the thing. I got it as payment for a potion many years ago an' thought that I'd be able to sell or trade it an' I never have. I think it was meant to come to you, my dear. Just promise me you'll take care of ol' red eyes here. Whooweee. I ain't seen men this fine in a long, long time."

Kid and I blush as we once again thank Rax for her hospitality and scarf down a mug full of oatmeal before heading out on our hike.

The snow has stopped falling and there is a break in what was previously a solid wall of grey clouds. It's definitely much better weather for a hike than it was on our trips to the safe house. Maka and I walk along hand in hand with Kid and his two ladies a few yards ahead of us.

"Did you hear them last night?" Maka whispers to me.

"Yeah."

"I'm worried about Kid. I think he's-"

"A dumbass who is going to screw things up?" I offer.

"Well, I was going to say it nicer than that-"

"But it's what you were thinking, wasn't it?"

"Maybe," she admits weakly. "I thought maybe I could hang out with the girls for the hike and you two could have a little guy time and you could do whatever it is guys do about situations like this."

"You mean grunt and ignore it till it blows up in his face and then laugh when it does?"

She inhales deeply and stares into my eyes with those beautifully pure emerald orbs of hers. "You're a better friend than that…"

"Yeah, yeah, I know. I just don't know what to say and he hasn't wanted to talk about it."

"But you can at least give him the opportunity and let him know that when he _wants_ to talk-"

"Guys don't like to talk. Let's get that straight, but sure, I'd be happy to hang out with Kid for the rest of the hike."

"But if you want me to give him advice…I've got none to give. Only he's gonna be able to figure out what he wants."

"Well, he can't be their father, brother, _and_ their lover."

I shrug. "If anybody can it'll be Kid. Now I can see why so many girls are always crushin' on him at school."

"I know. He's so handsome and he does have this whole gothic gentleman vibe going…it's very alluring."

I turn to her grinning, "Something you want to tell me? I'm not becoming the third wheel am I?"

Maka's eyes grow wide with panic. "No, it isn't like that at all, Soul! I promise I would never-"

I laugh. "Calm down. I was only kidding."

She arches her eyebrows in surprise. "You've never kidded about stuff like that before. Does this mean I get to have guy friends now without you threatening their lives?"

"_**No.**_ _Only Kid…_Black*Star if he isn't drunk and is getting sex routinely from someone else _and_ I'm within ear shot…oh, and Ox, because I know you can't stand him anyway."

She shakes her head, puzzled. "Why Kid? He's probably the most attractive boy in the entire school."

I frown. "Enough of that now. Don't go all fan girl on me. The difference is I _like_ Kid…a lot and I trust him."

"Oh, I see. You trust him and not me. I think I've just been insulted." She looks serious.

"No, I don't mean it like that!" Crap, I'm digging myself a damn hole here. "It's just Kid encouraged me to talk to you about how I felt. He's kind-of been pulling for us for a while."

"So, guys _do_ talk about these things."

I shrug. "Sometimes, I guess. I don't know. He just showed up at our place one day telling me that life was too short to hide how I felt about you…"

"Well then, maybe you need to return the favor and remind him that when the roles were reversed that's what he said to you."

"OK, ok. You win. At some point today in between talking about the things guys actually _enjoy_ talking about I will try to give him some advice man-to-man about his relationships with his insane partners."

"So, you don't trust Black*Star, huh?"

"Hell, no. He's one horny bastard _all the time._ Besides, he'd make me look bad."

"You mean all his bragging about having a gigantic shlong is true?"

I nod. "He's hung like a horse plus he's so competitive he would totally try to score with you just to prove he could be with any chick I was. The guy can be an ass sometimes…er, a lot of the time."

"Then why are we all rushing to Mexico to save him from the clutches of Avian Flu?" she asks even though I know she already knows the answer.

"Cause he's our friend and every group of friends needs a dumb as a doornail, completely tactless, misogynistic dumbass...and what's with all this talk of other guys? Heave you forgotten that you have a date with me to sneak away from the group for a little fun, because I haven't?"

She shakes her head and yanks me by the hoodie string to behind a tree wrapping her arms around me.

My lips meet hers with a loud smack before she opens her mouth letting my tongue slip into her. Her lips tangle with mine as my hands clutch her waist more tightly pinning her up against the tree wanting so badly to make love to her right here and now.

My lips creep toward her ear and neck and she pants out my name. "Soul…"

"I know…I know…just a couple minutes more…" I beg as I press my body against hers wanting to feel her heat engulf me. She doesn't argue. Instead, she lets her hands slide down to my ass as she makes little moaning sounds. I am so turned on it's painful.

"We've gotta get back with the others," she says with disappointment.

I nod, my lips and tongue still in contact with her neck. "Maka, I love you."

She smiles as she pushes me off of her with her uninjured arm. "I love you, too," and then she is off like a shot, running to catch up with the young man dressed in black and his companions.

"Promise me you'll stay close to Liz and Patti so you can use them if you need to," I call after her and I hear an, "OK."

A few minutes later, Kid hoverboards over to me. "I guess we will be bringing up the rear. The ladies have told me that my escort is no longer required and that I am temporarily _your_ meister."

"Yeah, Maka went all turncoat on me." Then I admit, "Actually, we thought you might need a break."

"You make it sound like I'm babysitting. The girls take care of me as much as I take care of them."

"Yeah, but it can still be tough and you've got _two_ of them to worry about. Maka keeps me busy enough."

"Obviously," he says with a silly grin on his face. "The girls are so happy that the two of you are finally officially an item. They think you're adorable together."

He glides along next to me watching the forms of 'his ladies' in the distance in front of us.

I feel extremely awkward about it, but wincing a little I go ahead and say it, "Do you want to talk about it?"

"Talk about what?"

"Oh, come on Kid. You came and kicked me into gear to talk to Maka."

"And you proceeded to run away like a little baby," he shakes his head. "You very nearly blew it. You can be such an idiot sometimes."

"Ok, I admit it; I should have taken your advice, but that doesn't mean that talking to someone about it didn't help."

"No offense, but no I don't want to talk about it. There isn't _anything_ to talk about."

"That's cool. Just know that if you ever need to, you can talk to me."

There. My duty as a friend is complete. I have done what I promised Maka I would do and now I don't have the obligation hanging over me anymore.

The lyrics to the DWMA fight song drifting back to us and Kid and I chime in with the girls on the chorus. Then the Thompsons sing some silly camp songs that Kid seems to know, but I don't and then they get so quiet I think they're done singing. Until I hear them again…no, wait, it's only Patti and Liz and it's much softer and more breathy then before. I vaguely recognize the song as some top forty thing by an artist I choose to ignore. The sisters turn around and in extremely lusty voices belt out the lyrics, "I'll make your fantasies come true. Me and yooouuu. You can hold me…and touch me…and play with me. I want to feel you deep inside of meeeee."Patti is holding her slingshot upside down using the handle as a mock microphone and Liz is moving her body in ways I've only seen in porn.

Meanwhile, _my _girlfriend is standing beside them looking incredibly awkward neither singing nor dancing and I'm guessing probably wishing they would knock it the hell off for poor Kid's sake. What she doesn't know is they also need to knock it off for my sake, because I'm a guy, and all that panting and talk about touching and feeling is having an effect on me, too. Plus, it's not like Kid and I walked into a titty bar or something. We're just hiking to town and have been completely caught off guard by this attack by sex kittens.

"Oooohhhhh oooohhhhh," sings Liz sauntering over toward Kid. "I want to open up to you so you can feel me on the inside."

Terrified, Kid grabs my arm. He appears to be in the worst panic I have ever seen him even when he is battling his worst OCD symptoms. He looks like he might cry.

"Liz, Patti, knock it off. This isn't cool. You're gonna give me and Kid nosebleeds for God's sake," I shout at them over the sounds of their pants and sexy little whines.

Kid his eyes still wide from fear says robotically, "Lovely singing ladies, but I think it's time for my mindfulness training. I'm gonna put my headphones on and meditate now." He pulls from his coat pocket a large set of noise-cancelling headphones in the shape of Death masks and pushes play on his music player. Then he pulls out a handkerchief and dabs a tiny trickle of blood running from his nose.

The girls giggle and run back to Maka who is continuing to appear incredibly pissed off by their behavior. Once I'm confident the girls are out of earshot, I yank one of the earpieces from the reaper's ear and grinning say, "Sure, there's _nothing_ going on, Kid? Cause that didn't look like _nothin' _to me and neither did your reaction."

"Shut up. You're turned on, too."

"Yeah, but I can do something about it," I say a glimmer in my eye as I stare at Maka's fine ass.

Kid mumbles something about how he can also do something about it it's just not nearly as fun and then barks, "I've got meditating to do. Watch out for birdbrains. Any of the girls get hurt I'm holding you personally responsible." And with that he pulls the headphone from my hand clamping the Death Mask securing over his ear and assumes a spaced out expression which slowly transforms to one of serene peace.

"Girls, why are you torturing Kid?" I shout confident he won't hear me over his music. "It's not cool. You need to give the guy a break. He's under a lot of pressure."

"He needs to loosen up," Liz says walking over to talk to me.

"He worries way too much about all kinds of stupid things," Patti says. "Like toilet paper triangles and reaping souls and morality and what his father might think-"

"Ok, well if you won't stop flirting with him at least do it in a way where _I _don't get caught up in it," I whisper to them. "Because Maka isn't going to like it if she finds out you can turn me on."

Patti is delighted. "We turned you on?!" She shouts so loudly that there can be no way my meister didn't hear. I glance at Maka and she is glaring at me.

"Patti, shut up! You're gonna get me in trouble!" I whine.

"But Kid always says we don't have any effect on him. I don't get it. We-"

"Incoming!"

I hear the shout from Maka a moment before I hear the beating of wings and immediately all the stupid teenage trials and tribulations are thrown out of our minds as we are once again besieged by Avian Flu members.


	42. Chapter 42: Maka Reborn

_**Chapter 42: Maka Reborn; Flying by our Sleeves?**_

My first instinct is to run directly to Maka as quickly as possible, but instead I have to make sure Kid isn't so far into a zen state that he's spacing out on what is going on around him. I turn towards him and discover that I needn't have worried. He is already half way through unbuttoning his coat and flinging it onto the ground along with his headphones. The coat makes a dramatic flourish as he throws it aside, holding his hands out on either side of him as a Thompson transforming into a gun jumps into each one. _Damn_, that guy has _style_. Maka and I kick ass together, but with Kid taking souls is like performance art. I would _love_ to stand and watch if I could.

The group of flyers above us is numbered about six, I think. It's hard to count because they must have some hummingbird in them because they are _fast_. Maka and I run toward each other. We grab each other's right hands as though arm wrestling a second or two before I transform.

We are so well synchronized I feel cocky, but only for an instant, because then I have to face the cold, hard fact that Maka and I don't have any ranged attacks. She's basically limited by my reach which is no big deal when you have other ground-bound dudes to fight, but these are _flyers _and even our best "flying" jump attack falls short against demons capable of _true_ flight which means that while Kid bends and twists like he's in one of those freaky acrobatic traveling circuses, Maka resorts to waving me around in the air like a person might a broom when trying to hit a pesky insect.

I groan. This is embarrassing. "Maka, you gotta focus on one of them." I expect better from us; we're being made to look fucking incompetent. Still, I know it's not her fault. It just sucks.

"They move too fast."

"You ready to resonant?"

"_I_ say when we resonant," Maka scolds.

"Ok, so are we going to or what? We're gonna need Witch Hunter or at least Demon Hunter to be able to hit these bastards. They're out of range otherwise."

"I know that."

"Then why aren't you…?" I don't know why I'm acting like this. What is my problem? I need to shut up and quit trying to do Maka's job for her but for some damn reason I'm being a bit of an ass. I'll have to apologize later…maybe.

"Soul Resonance!"

As our souls descend into the familiar wind tunnel we once again feel that heat.

"Soul-"

"Ignore it, Maka. I'm fine. Keep going."

"Demon Hunter," she shouts and I concentrate on her wavelength and go all fancy like I do.

Kid's bullets appear to have met their mark as one of our attackers, a young winged man with round eyes and a narrow short nose, plummets to the ground landing with a loud thud.

Maka runs toward him.

"What are you doing, Maka? He's less of a threat than the ones in the air!"

"Kid can get the ones in the air. We're taking this one."

"Ok, if you say so, but you better have some kind of plan." Why the hell are we doing Demon Hunter if we're attacking the one on the ground? Ugh! Sometimes, Maka can be so impulsive.

"I do."

She runs up and plants her foot squarely on his chest and brings me around so that my cutting edge is behind him and dangerously close to his neck and torso. "Tell us what Avian Flu is doing with little kids. How do they transform them into demons?"

"Look, I don't know anything. I just know that Avian Flu is working to make this world a more peaceful place. I swear."

Maka and I sneer. "More peaceful, my ass," Maka says. "What are the goals of your leaders? You must have some idea why they've sent you all this way to attack us."

"All I know is that they're building a better world for us. They give us food and shelter and the ability to fly. It's a dream come true."

"Some dreams aren't meant to come true." She says it with compassion, like she understands how one could be seduced by the ability to fly.

"That's the current paradigm talking. When the world is ruled by Avian Flu you too will see the error in your thinking. You'll see that life with Avian Flu isn't so bad."

Maka appears to hesitate for a moment. I'm sure she would rather be taking out a leader than some no-name grunt sent here to do the dirty work, but this is often what happens; the real evil doers sit in an ivory palace somewhere while we get stuck having to end some poor soul who got messed up in something way bigger and more sinister than they intended.

"Take him out, Maka," I growl just as it becomes oddly quiet all of a sudden. What's missing? Oh, it's the banging of Kid's guns…shit, that can't be good.

"Maka, what the fuck's going on over there? Is Kid OK?" I stretch my eyeball as much as I can but I can't see crap from my angle and all I can hear are the Thompsons calling Kid's name as though in shock. Any hesitance on Maka's part is now gone as she swings me beheading the demon on the ground with one swing. I guess doing Demon Hunter was a good choice.

As I come upright again I can see why Kid isn't shooting. He looks ok, but he's got no firepower. Both of the girls are in their human form and a purple haze is hanging in the air making them cough and double over.

"What the fuck are they doing?"

"I don't know," Maka says running. In our heads, Maka and I are considering a million possibilities of why Kid would not have the girls in gun form and none of them make sense. He's said that Avian Flu wants Patti dead, but she'd be safer in his hand in weapon form than as a human on the battlefield, plus in weapon form only Kid can tell the difference between Liz and Patti.

As Maka runs, a birdman swoops down towards us and I feel talons connect with my blade. It only takes a few seconds for the sharp nails to penetrate. I groan as blood gushes forth from the punctures. It hurts worse than I expected. How in the hell did Maka endure being lifted up by their claws like that? Yowch!

Maka calls my name and releases one hand from me enabling her to punch the bird in the face. She tries to head butt it, but the stupid thing yanks at her hat and hair. She sneers. That can't have felt good.

While we're engaged with the one clamped on to me, the others are ganging up on Kid. I can see it happening though I'm getting a little seasick from trying to focus both on Kid's team and the damn bird drilling holes in me.

The violet fog surrounding Kid's team is reminiscent of the mist I saw emanating from Maka's wound before she went unconscious. Is Avian Flu gassing them?

"Maka, we need to get over there to give Kid backup, _now_."

"But-" she says still attempting to beat up the one that literally has me in his clutches.

"Don't worry about me. Just run. He can come along for the ride if he wants."

Maka begins running at break neck speed and I hear a startled caw from the bird as he sinks his talons further into me in an attempt not to fall off. He's pierced right through the scythe blade, but I don't think that matters too much.

As we approach we start feeling the effects of the fog on our lungs and Maka and I start coughing, too.

Liz stands with Patti in front of her, her hands protectively holding onto her sister as Patti covers her mouth trying to filter the air she is breathing as much as she can.

"Kid, what's happening?" yells Liz.

"It's the mist. Patti, Liz, try to get as far away from it as you can."

"We aren't leaving you," Patti says.

"Ha! We've got you now," one of the flyers says alighting right in front of the two girls but Kid hover boards in front of his partners.

"It's me you're after, isn't it?" Kid says calmly.

"We have orders to take the tall girl, too, and the blonde."

"I'll make you a deal. I'll go without a fight if you let everyone else go."

"No!" Maka and I both scream as she swings me and the bird clinging to me into another bird that is a few feet above us. The bird riding on my blade shouts apologizes to his team mate as he rams into them.

"Kid! Don't be fuckin' stupid!" I shout. "We can win this thing."

What is he thinking? These guys aren't trustworthy; they won't respect a bargain.

Kid raises to his full height, no longer bent over from coughing, and Liz turns so her back is to his with Patti squatting in between them. The two of them hold out their hands forming a shelter for Patti to hide in, but Patti stands up sending a pebble flying toward one of the birds with her slingshot. The birdman lets out a startled yowl as Patti ducks down to once again be underneath the cover of Liz and Kid.

Maka runs in front of Liz. "I've got this. Transform," she tells her.

"I can't!" Liz says.

"What do you mean you can't?"

A new puff of purple mist appears in the air and I start to feel pulled toward my physical body. What the fuck?! It's as though my weapon form is rejecting me somehow.

"Maka, something's happening!"

A bird laughs. "We don't bargain with our prey! We follow orders."

"Maka! I'm changing back!" I scream. I understand now why Kid is weaponless. This violet fog is somehow interfering with our ability to maintain our weapon form.

"No, Soul. Concentrate on me!" Maka orders.

"I'm trying, Maka!" I groan. It is so hard. I don't have the control I usually have. "I'm… trying…but I…can't!" Fuck!

"Soul Resonance!" I know she's trying to help me. I can feel her soul reaching out for me, but my form is transforming none the less.

"Maka, listen to me. Whatever happens do _not_ let them take Kid."

"Right."

My head and torso begin to pop out of my weapon form, something I normally have complete control over. When I pop out I discover the bird person is perched on my shoulder. I turn my head and bite his ankles with my sharp teeth. He lets out a scream, but then I'm all the way out of weapon form and I still have a damn bird on my shoulder.

I look at Maka. This is bad. Really, really bad. Why didn't we bring the fucking gun from the safe house with us? What kind of amateurs are we?

Meanwhile, Kid's discourse with the enemy has continued, but I've been too busy dealing with all this other shit to be paying attention.

"I'll admit the offer is tempting," says the bird person who has been giving orders. "But seeing's as we've _won_ there is no reason for us to take only you." Then to one of his comrades he says, "Now, get the albino and the little girl over there and finish them, while we round up the other three."

Birds swoop down and start to pry Liz and Patti apart. Next to seeing Maka's unconscious form in my arms, this is the most terrifying image I have ever seen. The sisters are screaming and kicking their attackers trying desperately to keep their grasp on one another, but first their bodies, then their hands, and then their fingertips are pulled out of reach of one another.

Maka runs toward the person in charge, as the bird on my shoulder starts to drag me toward Patti.

"I'll come with you, too," she says. "Just don't kill Patti and Soul. Please, you don't need to! Kid and I will come with you."

One especially large bird dives down and instead of grasping Maka with his talons offers Maka a hand. Maka takes his hand, her eyes on me the whole time. I'm not sure what to do. The bird flies up into the air out of reach of me and I think that not only is the _battle _over, but my life and our life together as well. I don't see any way out of this and I don't believe for an _instant_ these mother fuckers won't kill Patti and me.

The bird's grasp on my meister slips and he tries to catch her, but instead grabs her sleeve ripping her shirt. Maka's cleavage is revealed as well as the necklace Rax gave her but it looks different somehow…the skulls almost look like they're glowing.

"Crap!" The bird shouts grabbing a hold of her other hand. "Guys, forget it! She's a Reborn! Nobody said anything about any witches! She'll kill me on route."

"Like hell she is! _These _aren't witches. They're DWMA students! I'm sure of it. They're the ones we've been looking for. How many groups of people would match the description we have? Quit being stupid, Luke!" shouts the leader to the one holding Maka.

"Then why does she have that?" The bird cocks his head toward the necklace and the other birds fly close to inspect it.

"I don't know man," says one of them.

Maka laughs. "Aw. You found me out." Her voice and pitch is different. It's creepy; at least to me it is, because it doesn't sound like my meister. "I've possessed the body of this student and am exercising mind control on all her comrades in an attempt to infiltrate your headquarters, but now that you've found me out I'm going to have to kill you."

What?! Is this the mind control coming back?

Kid stiffens and says robotically, "What would you have me do, Oh Great One. Your wish is my command."

"Uh, let's get out of here," wails one of the birds taking off in the direction they came from originally.

"Yeah, I didn't sign on to fight witches!" shouts the one on my shoulder and he lets go of me flying over to be with the others in the air.

The birds drop Maka and as a flock they all fly away. As my meister falls she shouts in witch voice, "Catch me, you fools!" And keeping with tradition I break her fall with my own body.

"Soul, are you ok?" she says in her normal voice.

I moan. Why do I do this? No sane person tries to catch someone who is being dropped multiple stories. I wave my hand and mumble something to indicate that she needs to get off me in a hurry because I can't get air and she leaps up.

Kid comes strolling up to us as though he's just been for a walk in the park. "I think I'll need to buy Rax _two_ cheesecakes," he muses grinning. He extends his arms on either side of him waiting for his ladies to come join him in their customary fashion. They come running over and get in their usual positions on either side of their meister and then Liz slaps him across the face. Before he can recover from his surprise Patti smacks his other cheek. The girls give him no time to say anything before Liz begins screaming at him.

"What in the hell where you thinking?" Liz yells even though she is only a couple inches from his face.

"Well, I-" Kid stammers.

"Under _no_ circumstances are you allowed to strike a bargain for our safety that endangers your own, _ass hole!_" Her voice trembles with fury.

"I was doing what I thought best," he says without raising his voice.

"Well, it wouldn't have been best for the DWMA or for my sister," Liz says continuing to yell.

"Patti would have been _alive_. Keeping her and Soul _alive_ was my primary concern, Liz."

"Well, keeping _you_ alive is mine!" Liz shoves him in the chest with her hand.

"Would you like to hit me again? Would that make you feel better?" Kid says without a hint of sarcasm. He is completely calm as he offers himself as a punching bag. When she doesn't respond he wraps his arms around her. "Sweetie, it was a unique situation. We've never been faced with a time when I couldn't wield you. I was at a loss."

"Well, next time you better come up with something less _dumb_," says Patti joining the group hug. "'Cause sister and I would rather die than see Avian Flu get ahold of you."

The girls are crying and it is only when the girls have their faces buried in his chest and shoulder that Kid appears troubled. He looks to Maka and me.

"You going to yell at me, too?" he asks.

"No," I answer. "But I am going to ask you what kind of magic power can make it so demon weapon's return to human form."

"I've never heard of such a thing," Maka says.

"Nor have I, but it does give us some insight into how they may be successfully capturing our friends. We were in a jam and were it not for Maka and her necklace…"

I glance at the necklace which is still dangling around her neck, but no longer glowing. "Oh, God, Maka, you need a new shirt."

She rolls her eyes. "You almost get killed and that's what you have to say to me? Sometimes you have the emotional depth of a rock."

I shrug. "You know everything I would say. I don't have to say it anymore."

"But you _have _to point out that I'm showing a little side boob."

"That's more than side boob," I say flatly.

"I'd have to agree with Soul," says Patti. "Not that there is anything wrong with that. If you've got it flaunt it, right, sis?"

Liz's face is still buried in Kid's chest, but she murmurs something to which Kid remarks, "Oh, don't you _dare_ give me that, Liz. You have a lot to flaunt. You're beautiful. You just have lousy taste in men."

Liz mumbles something I can't make out.

"What? _**No**_," he thunders. "_I won't allow it._ I don't care if we have to practice every night. I will make it so there is absolutely no room in your schedule to date that man. Anyone who would make you feel anything less than beautiful doesn't deserve you." He says as he puts some of her hair behind her ear and there's a moment there, just a moment where I think he's gonna kiss her. But he doesn't and I remember that I think he's into Patti, not Liz, and then as though he all of a sudden remembers that Maka and I are here says, "Patti, see if you can find one of Liz's shirts for Maka to wear. With her like that it looks as though Soul got carried away during one of their make out sessions."

"She only wishes that," Patti says winking at Maka who is too embarrassed to laugh.

"Now, come on we still have a ways to go and now we know there is Avian Flu in the area," he says still holding Liz who continues to have her face buried in him even though she has to stoop in order to do it due to their height difference.

"Too bad I think I can only pull that mock witch thing off once…" Maka complains.

I laugh. "I never realized you were such a good actress, meister. For a few seconds I really thought you were possessed."

"Me too," says Patti handing Maka one of Liz's t-shirts. "It wasn't until Kid started overacting that I knew you were faking it."

"Everyone's a critic," Kid grumbles. "Still, I think it would do us well to learn more about the Reborn as we may be able to use their reputation to our advantage again in some way or another."

"Agreed," says Maka. "You ever heard of them before?"

"No, but maybe there's something about them in that book Rax gave me. Oh, speaking of symmetry, Liz we need to talk. You were _once again_ too far over to the right after I spun you. I spin you and then the three of us are supposed to form an isosceles triangle, but the angle was off yet again."

"How do you know? You don't have eyes in the back your head."

"No, but I can sense it. There was imbalance and that throws the whole attack off, we must be in perfect symmetry. One being in three bodies. That's how it works…"

I lean over and whisper to my meister, "Right now I only want to be _**in**__ one_ _body_, a super sexy one…"

She slaps me and I laugh. "And by the way, Maka. Ditto to everything the girls said. No one takes my meister while I'm alive."


	43. Chapter 43: Supposed Civilization

_**Chapter 43: Supposed Civilization; Axles and Engines?**_

We walk onward and in about ninety minutes are in a town known as Broken Axle. It's a little tourist town that either had a bunch of people settle it during the Gold Rush or during the Oregon Trail days, something like that. All that matters to us is that we find some food, some more clothes and supplies, and transportation to a place called Hidden Point, New Mexico which is the last place my buddy, Black*Star, and Harvar checked in at, before they were captured by Avian Flu. We also need to talk to Lord Death about the purple mist…though, I can't imagine Harvar wouldn't have mentioned it.

I think every single one of us will jump through the magic mirror to strangle his Lordship if it slipped his mind to tell us something that important. Kid is right, his dad is kind of incompetent, either that or he has some grand master plan that involves him having to act like a moron a majority of the time, but I doubt it.

As we walk into town we see a sign proclaiming our welcome to "Broken Axle, Home of the World's Largest Sculpture Made Entirely of Wooden Wagon Wheels."

"I'm starvin'," I say as we trudge the last few feet into "civilization."

"You're _always_ starving," says Maka. "You'll have to wait. We have some stuff we need to do before we get lunch."

"Are you serious? Come on! I can't be the only one who's hungry."

Liz and Patti each lift a hand and teeter it back and forth to indicate their noncommittal answer. My shoulders sag; I guess we will be going shopping first. Ugh! I hate being outvoted.

"Maka's right. What we really need to do is go shopping!" says Patti. They are right, but I refuse to admit it out loud. The list of our needs is long: bandage material and other first aid supplies, a change of clothes for Maka and me, tampons (the Thompsons keep mentioning that Kid used all of theirs- I wish I had a tape recorder because it's fucking hilarious to hear the way they say it), and food for during our journey and maybe additional camping supplies if we aren't taking a train all the way to New Mexico.

We hear a small mechanical rumble from above our heads and look up ready for attack but instead we see the sculpture bragged about on the welcome sign. It stands about four stories and is of a dragon rearing up on its hind feet. It is also currently expelling fire from its open mouth.

"Don't worry!" a man passing by says tells us. "It's supposed to do that. It's our own Old Faithful! Every fifteen minutes she blows!"

Kid shakes his head at me stifling my sexual innuendo as Patti squeals, "That's so cool!"

"Yes, it is," he says placating his shorter partner. "But let's not get distracted." Kid pulls from his pocket a watch fob dangling from a gold chain. "Are we still all synchronized?"

Maka and I check our wrist watches while Liz pulls a necklace from between her boobs that apparently has a timepiece on it and Patti pulls a stuffed giraffe from her pocket that has a watch embedded in its belly.

I have to wonder if Patti has somehow managed to enchant her pockets because I can't figure out how she can carry so much crap with her all the time. I'm the one who needs a bag of holding. I swear you could track me from DC to here with the trail of junk I've left in my wake.

"You think an hour will be enough time?" Kid asks and we all mumble our uncertainties. We have a lot of crap to get and we don't know where anything is in town. "Well, let's shoot for one hour. We can stay longer if we need to. You guys go get the supplies, I'll go secure transportation. Then we will treat ourselves to lunch."

The reaper starts to walk away saying only, "Patti, remember no dilly-dallying. We are buying essentials _only_."

"Wait a second," I say pulling a hand out of my pocket. "Where do you think you're going, Kid?"

"I told you, I'm taking care of our travel arrangements."

"Not alone you're not," Maka states and I nod.

"Yeah, Kid. You gotta quit wandering off by yourself. It isn't safe. You need one of us to come with you," Liz says.

"Fine," he says sounding mildly put out by our objection. He stands there for a moment debating who to take with him. I glare at him to indicate that this is _not_ guy time and that I'll be staying with my meister and since none of us would support the two meisters going off together by themselves he is left with only two choices, Liz or Patti.

With a deep inhale he extends his hand to Liz. "Would you do me the honor of accompanying me while I figure out what's the fastest way to exit this tourist trap?"

"Sure, Kid."

"We'll meet at the base of the fire-breathing monstrosity in one hour. _Precisely_ one hour."

"Yup, see ya then," I say and then I turn to Patti and Maka.

"Oh, yah! We get to make Soul try on clothes! I've always wanted a boyfriend so I could play dress up with him. Kid is very particular about what he wears. It has to be certain percentages of cotton and stuff or he goes all crazy! So, it's no fun going shopping with him."

I groan. "Patti, we're just trying to find me some clean underwear and another pair of pants because this is the only one I've got."

The main street of Broken Axle contains a plethora of little shops selling souvenir t-shirts and sweatshirts and even some fancy-ass boutiques but apparently no one in this town ever needs to clothe the _lower_ half of their body as all we can find are tops. If we needed dragon motif Hawaiian shirts and t-shirts boasting hideous screen printed renderings of the dragon statue we would be set. Do people actually buy this shit? And how many people want tank tops and Hawaiian shirts when there is a foot of snow on the ground?

The girls try to make me see that I can survive wearing one of the t-shirts, but I am unconvinced. "No way! There is no way my body is going inside that ugly t-shirt. I have some standards."

"You don't see me complaining," Maka says.

"I also don't see you wearing one," I tell her.

"I will if we can't find something else by the end of this row of shops."

"Come on," I mumble. "Let's ask someone if there is a real clothing store somewhere." We find a local who directs us to a thrift shop down an alleyway. I won't buy used underwear, but I'd be plenty happy to have a pair of jeans that has already been broken in for me so we head that direction. Upon entry we are met by the smell of items with a history…which can be both a good and a bad thing.

"Oh, books!" Maka squeals and I grab her by the hood of her hoodie.

"_Not now, Maka_."

"After we get the stuff we need?" she asks hopefully while looking super cute. Too bad I don't care that she's looking cute. My heart is hardened. I am a brutal partner. "No, we only have an hour and we still need to get first aid supplies."

"Please, Soul. Please, small town bookstores always have rare stuff that doesn't make it to Death City. Please."

"No!"

Patti smiles, "Come on, Soul, we'll show you how fast chicks can shop and then you can let Maka pick out something."

"No."

"Please!" They both beg. I don't get it, what does Patti get out of this deal?

I groan. "Fine, but paperbacks only! No encyclopedias or atlases or huge anthologies of the world. I see that grin…I'm serious Maka I am not helping you haul the Magna Carta around with you."

"Soul, I think the Magna Carta was a scroll and not very big," Maka says.

"Whatever. I don't care. I need underpants."

The shop has a very small selection, but we find what we need and Maka buys _four_ paperbacks, blatantly flouting my regulations. I sigh. Again, I wonder when is she going to read the damn things? She says if we are taking the train or a coach she'll do it then and then she explains to me that she _had_ to buy them because they don't have the movie poster printed on the cover and apparently a movie tie-in cover is some kind of affront to literature. It's official my meister is nuts. At least they were cheap.

Next, we go to a drugstore and load up our shopping cart with gauze and other first aid supplies. I look at my watch. "We're gonna be late." Maka and I hustle Patti who has to debate what flavor of lollypop she wants as though the wrong decision will create famine in Africa or something. Finally, I put my hands over her eyes and tell her she has to purchase the first one her hand touches. It's bubble gum flavor and she is delighted and kisses me on the cheek. Really, how does Kid deal with her eccentrities and Liz's bitchiness all the time? I would go insane.

We meet Kid and Liz at the dragon statue.

"Carmel apple?" they offer as we walk up.

"I see you guys stuck to just the essentials, too," I snicker.

"Oh, God, Patti didn't buy a bunch of awful souvenirs with our funds did she?"

"No, just the lollypop and Maka bought…drum roll please, books!"

"Not just _any_ books, the extended version of _The Adventures of Marnious_! I'm so excited because the original publisher cut out several very important chapters-"

Maka rambles on about her thrift store finds as Kid and Liz lead us to some restaurant for lunch. It must be a good one because not only does the aroma coming from it smell great, but there are more motorcycles, sleds, and motorized contraptions parked outside it than in front of any of the other cafes. However, Maka and I agree that its name, _The Dragon's Pit_, could use work.

"It sounds like where dragons go to take a dump," she whispers to me. I nod.

"As long as it's got onion rings I'm happy!" I say deeply inhaling the smell of artery-clogging deep fried goodness.

They seat us in an extra-large booth with Kid on one side of me and Maka on the other. The Thompsons sit next to Maka probably so they can face their meister. As soon as I sit down Maka starts stripping me.

"Whoa, Maka. We always knew you had the hots for Soul, but could you wait till after we eat lunch, please?" Liz says laughing.

Maka rolls her eyes as she wiggles the hoodie over my big head. "I need to check on his wound. He got a bunch of punctures on his right shoulder…" She finds the tears in my t-shirt and says, "Ah, there they are."

I frown, the girls have pinned me in the booth. Either they planned this or they are just lucky. I grumble as Maka starts pulling things out of our shopping from the drug store preparing to clean up my wounds. I decide to go ahead and take my shirt off so it doesn't get soaking wet with the antiseptic.

The waitress comes over and starts to ask us to not do wound cleaning at a booth in her restaurant, but Maka turns to her and gives her a look that could kill and she then proceeds to ignore Maka and I and talk only to Kid and the twins for the rest of our meal. We even have to have Patti order for us as though we are a couple kids, but it only bothers me until my triple cheeseburger, large order of onion rings, and large chocolate milkshake arrives. I am in ecstasy.

"Are you really going to eat all that?" Liz asks.

"Of course, he will and then he's going to lick the grease off the plate," Maka says tapping her fingers impatiently as she waits for her chicken Caesar salad with fries to arrive.

"Hey, look at this body," I say running my hands down my chest. "It's not like I'm getting fat."

"We know. That's what makes it so annoying," says Liz. "And you can feel free to put your shirt back on now."

"Naw, I think this is a good look for me," I thrust my chest forward like a male model.

Patti sits with her hands resting in her chin. "Yeah, you and Kid make a really cute couple," she says and Kid lifts his butt and plants it several inches further from me as I rush to throw my t-shirt back on.

"It was a _dare_, Patti, and as I recall it was _you_ who put us up to it," Kid grumbles.

"I know I just think that you and Soul would make such beautiful babies together. Of course, Maka and Soul are gonna have adorable babies, too. I can't believe that Maka already has a name picked out-OUCH!" I think my meister kicked her to shut her up.

I arch an eyebrow as I study Maka's face, but she won't make eye contact with me and begins fumbling with the salt and pepper shakers. It wouldn't surprise me if she wants kids…I kinda get the vibe she does, but it seems awful weird to me that she would want kids and be totally opposed to marriage. Her parents' lousy relationship fucked her up pretty badly, I think.

"How'd shopping go?" Kid asks in an obvious attempt to change subjects.

"Maka lucked out and got a really cute _Bashin' Brains_ t-shirt from their summer tour two years ago, but the only pair of pants that fit me were bellbottoms," I grumble in-between handfuls of French fries.

"They aren't that bad," Maka says.

"It looks like I have a fuckin' skirt around each of my ankles."

"Well, hopefully nothing will happen to the pair you're wearing."

"Yeah, I hope so, cause I almost didn't buy them cause I think they're a safety hazard."

"That's because you don't pick up your feet when you walk, Soul."

"I do, too. How do wou thwink I ghet frooomm plawce to pwace?" I say as I mow down on my burger.

"Don't talk with your mouthful," Maka scolds.

I lean my head back and swallow with a loud gulp.

"Soul, you need to chew your food," instructs my meister. "Some day you're gonna choke to death."

"Naw, I've got a huge gullet and an iron stomach." Oohhh. I miss Black*Star. That's the kind of thing he would say to Tsubaki.

"So, you've heard all about our shopping extravaganza during which Patti touched _everything_," I say.

"She does that." Kid says and Liz nods in aggreement.

Patti just giggles. "What I want to touch most isn't in a store, though," she says giving Kid a pouty face and he looks back at her appalled obviously immediately knowing what she is getting at.

"But," I continue. "We have yet to hear how we are getting to Hidden Point."

"No worries," Liz says as Kid's mouth is full of a larger than gentlemanly bite of hamburger. "We got everything squared away. We leave as soon as our lunch settles."

"Oh, the train tracks are intact here?" Maka asks.

"No."

"Oh, you had to hire a coach then?" she asks again.

"You'll see. It's a surprise."

"But what if we can't find Tsubaki? How long do we wait before going on for Black*Star?" Maka asks.

"What do you guys think?" Kid asks.

"I say we don't worry about it now. We get down there and see what we find," I suggest.

"But we can't delay, for Black*Star's sake and for Tsubaki's. They could already have her, too." Liz says and the prospect is downright depressing.

"Come on, guys. I know we're all worried about them, but we can't get discouraged. We have successfully made it this far, right? That's something to celebrate!" Patti says. "And the best part is that me and Soul haven't been eliminated! Hoorah!" She waves her hands in the air like she is cheerleading at a sporting event.

I laugh. She is one weird-ass chick.

Even though I have the most food I finish my meal first and end up waiting for the others. Kid and Liz still haven't revealed any information about our travel plans and it's freaking me out a little. I half expect them to tell us we have to hide in cargo crates or get strapped to the top of a horseless carriage or something, but when we walk out of the restaurant they walk a few feet and stop.

"Ok, guys. Mount up," Kid says.

Maka and I stand there confused.

"On, what?" I'm so confused I even look up into the sky. Will we be riding a demon bird or something?

"These two motorcycles, stupid," Liz says.

My jaw drops. "You got us motorcycles?! Kid?!" I temporarily forget all about space bubbles and looking cool and throw my arms around Kid. "_I love you, man._"

"Love you too, Soul," Kid says and immediately raises a finger in caution to his partners. "Not a word, ladies. Not a word."

There are two motorcycles. One is red and has a side car and the other is black and sportier than Brunnie. This gives us just enough room to transport the five of us the only problem is…

"Kid, do you know how to drive a motorcycle?" I ask.

"No, but Liz does."

"Oh, great!" We start throwing our stuff into the side car taking up what should be foot room for the rider.

I hop on the black bike and Maka automatically jumps on behind me just like old times. Then I see Kid's sad eyes. Maka hops off the bike and whispers something to him and the next thing I know Kid is sitting behind me wrapping his arms around me.

"Kid, what the hell are you doing?"

"It's more symmetrical."

"Hell no. _Hell no!_ My meister is not-"

"She'll be with weapons and I can wield you in a pinch."

"Dude, you have got to be joking."

"I thought I'd ride in the sidecar, but I can't do it."

"Then be Liz's bitch and ride behind _her_, for God's sake."

"Please, I can't admit to the girls that my symptoms are back. I've been doing so well…" and then the tears start. "I'm so worthless. I don't know why I can't overcome this thing-"

"Oh, my God. Fine! Fine! I guess I can't complain. At least we don't have to fucking _walk_."

The ride is awkward for multiple reasons. The only person I have ever ridden on a motorcycle with previously has been Maka and Kid does not hold me like Maka, thank the Lord, but I'm also on a different bike and evidently I don't have the feel for this one yet because the bike tends to lurch whenever I brake or change gears sending Kid's head into my back. This is probably the most uncool you can look while on a hog.

We ride for hours with only a couple breaks and then we make camp for the evening. Kid's team still has operational tents so Maka and I claim one and I sack out early because I'm exhausted. It's dark, but I'm lying awake in the tent listening to music when she comes in. The tent is a small traditional a-frame style, not big enough to stand in, so my meister has to kind of slither in on top of me which I'm more than fine with.

"Hey!" I say pulling my headphones off my ears.

"Hey," she says and lies down next to me.

Her lips come in contact with my nose and part of my upper lip. "Oops!" she says sounding a little frustrated.

I fumble around in the dark for her hand and find it among the sleeping bags and rest my hand gently on top of hers.

"I missed you this afternoon," I tell her. I really did and not just because Kid's head kept ramming into me.

"I missed you, too."

"It must have felt great being back on a bike again."

"Yeah…but it's not Brunnie. She was special."

"That how you're gonna talk about me someday when you're with somebody else?"

"What?"

"We have to face reality, Soul. We won't be able to be together forever."

I don't know where this is coming from. "Maka?"

"Come on, Soul. You and I both know it. There is no such thing as true love."

"Hey! What has gotten into you? I'm not some guy you picked up in a bar like that jackhole Liz was dating. We're best friends… Aren't we best friends?"

"Yeah, but…"

To my great surprise, she starts crying. I don't know what to say, so I just wrap my arms around her and hold her.

"Maka, is something in particular bothering you? Did I do something wrong? The Thompsons better not have you believing I'm gay or something."

She laughs in between sniffles. "No, it's just you got turned on by-"

Oh, Lord Death I knew it. I'm Maka's boyfriend so I'm not allowed to get turned on by any other chick…even when they are intentionally being flirtatious. Damn, Kid's girls! Their aim was him, but because I was at the wrong place at the wrong time my meister is now crying. Oh, they are gonna hear about this! What self-centered little brats! Kid needs to be more in control of them and their behavior! I take a deep breath, doing my best to channel my rage at Kid's team and not at Maka.

"Maka, so what if I did?" I say trying to sound casual about the whole thing. "I'm not about to dump you to be with someone else just cause some part of my biology might think they're hot." She wails a little. Oh, I may be making this worse. Crapola. "You understand that they were intentionally being that way to mess with _Kid_, right? They've got some fucked up team dynamics right now and we're along for the ride, but I'm not into them and they aren't into me. In fact, I'm pretty sure they _both_ want to jump Kid's bones."

"But, you-"

"Would you rather I lie to you? I thought we were done lying."

"But you get jealous, too."

I grumble. She's got me there. "That's because there are a lot of guys out there who-"

"You don't trust me."

"Well, clearly you don't trust me! Maka, do you honestly think that I don't value what we have together?"

"You're a guy; you don't."

"Maka, listen to me." I pull her away from me in an attempt to look into her eyes when I speak to her, problem is it's pitch black in here so I end up just holding her shoulders. "You need to get one thing clear in your head. I will do stupid things. I will make mistakes and there will be times when I do shit that makes you hate me and vice versa. We both know that…hell, we've already lived through it, but _I am __**not**__ your father_."

"I…I… know that! I would never be with a man like my father!"

"But you seem to be scared I'm gonna turn into him. Maka, I don't think your dad became the slut he is after marrying your mom. She probably just refused to see the warning signs. I'm-"

"Soul, do _not_ talk about my mother like you know her!"

"Well, then don't get all pissed off at me for being a guy. I will get turned on by things, but I won't cheat on you!"

"Guys, just as an FYI we can hear you," Liz says from the other tent. "And Maka, Soul adores you. He always has and I'm pretty sure he always will so don't give him too hard a time. Most people are never lucky enough to have the kind of love you two do. So, don't be fucking stupid…and that goes for both of you."

Our tent is silent and I can sense Maka's upheaval. Now she feels guilty and like everyone is against her, but she doesn't deserve to be outnumbered. It's not her fault that her dad is an assbag.

"Soul, do I take you for granted?" she asks in a tiny voice.

"I dunno. Maybe, sometimes…but, I take you for granted a lot. That's part of the reason I left. I didn't realize how empty my life would be without you."

"I'm sorry," she buries her face in my chest and I sigh.

"Maka, can we just start over? Cause I don't want either one of us to feel bad. We've already been beat up enough by Avian Flu."

"Soul, I'm sor-"

"I told you. Don't worry about it," I speak the words right into her lips.

"Soul," she says knocking me over with her body as she kisses me. Now this is more like it! Her lips move from mine to my ear and she starts sucking on my earlobe. I moan from the pleasure and she stops.

"You've got to be quiet," she whispers.

"Right."

I bite my lip to keep from vocalizing as she does the most _incredible_ things with her tongue and starts to undress.

"Maka," I whisper. "Are you _sure_ you want to do this now?"

"Oh, yeah," she utters in a guttural tone as she pulls my shirt off and begins kissing my chest. "I've wanted it all day."

Well, that makes two of us then.

Soon she's wearing nothing but the skull necklace. She goes to take it off but I stop her with my hand and whisper in her ear. "It's hot seeing you with that on and nothing else."

She laughs at me. "How can you see anything?"

"I touch and feel and then my mind's eye sees." I say running my hands over her curves and she leans into my touch wherever my hand wanders. I sit up and pull her naked body close to me. Her hot, soft flesh presses against me and her nipples hard from the night air scrape across my chest and cause me to get in an incredible rush to remove my clothes, but when I reach down to undo my belt I find that she's already working on it.

"Soul, I want you to fuck me," she whispers in my ear and I growl back as she pulls down my pants and hovers over me on all fours. She pulls down my boxers and my excitement springs out of them all too eager for the chance to bury itself inside of her. I shake my legs trying to get my pants and underwear off, but they don't cooperate so she leans back and pulls them from around my ankles flinging them aside.

Oh, my God. You'd think by now I wouldn't be surprised by her sexiness, but every time we make out like this I find myself marveling not only at her body, but at how she knows just how to move it so that everything she does makes me want her even more.

She grabs my cock and slides it into her mouth and I gasp and then I remember the close proximity of our friends so I bring one of my hands up to my face and clamp it over my mouth. She moves her lips up and down me until I am soaked with fluid and then lowers her body onto me. I start to groan as I enter her and she bends forward and kisses my chest and says in her totally normal voice, "Soul, please don't embarrass me!"

"Sorry…" I say sincerely meaning it, but not sure how I can handle not making a peep when she is doing totally erotic, naughty things to me. She begins going up and then grinding down on me over and over until I get the overwhelming desire to leave a mark on her.

"I thought you wanted _me_ to fuck _you_," I whisper in her ear huskily and nudge her to get off me so I crawl behind her.

She turns her head toward me to see what I'm up to and I place a hand on either side of her hip just in front of her pelvis and as she kneels there on all fours I pull her backwards right onto my dick. She lets out a yelp. She even sounds like a puppy.

"Shhhh, Maka."

She lets out a little whimper and I start pounding myself into her. I go in and out and our flesh makes a funny slapping sound that normally would make me laugh my ass off, but all I can do now is marvel at how fucking great this feels. Sometimes her head goes down a little and sometimes she arches her back raising her head skyward and sometimes I know I rub against a special pleasure spot as I feel her tighten around me. Fucking her like this in the middle of nowhere feels primal and amazingly intense. My mind is filled with imagines of my cum spraying all over her, way up inside and all over her face and chest and legs…but I'm doing everything I can to delay my release until she's there with me.

Her panting increases.

"Soul, I'm going to cum…"she whispers.

"You sure?"

Her head bobs a little up and down and I give it to her harder than I think I ever have and her panting gets heavier and mixed among the gasps are exclamations of my name, how much she loves me, and how good she feels. I let go of her hips and put my hands on those sexy little tits of hers and lean forward and bite the back of her neck.

"You ready?"

She nods and as if we were coordinating soul resonance our orgasms begin at the same moment. Only problem is that Maka loses it so completely that she screams, "Oh, Shinigami, yes!" I realize her mistake and slide a hand from her breast to her mouth and cover it, but she licks it and starts sucking on my fingers in this ultra-sexualized way so all I can do is moan her name as I finish releasing and fall forward like a malformed clay pot on a pottery wheel.

We lay there panting.

"Is your arm ok?" I say apologetically. "I'm sorry. I wasn't really thinking."

"I'd tell you if it was bugging me. Open and honest communication is important."

"Oh, we're back to that, now, are we?" I laugh gently whacking her with the back of my hand.

"I'm sorry about earlier."

"Don't sweat it. We're all a little insane right now. It's probably not the best time to be entering into a relationship and figuring things out."

"I think it's the best time," she says kissing me. Her moist lips pressing sensually into mine. "Because if not now, than when?"

"I guess, but you do know that whoever is on watch right now and everyone in the other tent knows we just had sex, right?"

"Yeah," she says slowly. "But they're so quiet… maybe they think it was someone else."

"I'm _pretty_ sure you said my name."

Even in the dark I can sense she's blushing. I hug her. "It's ok, Maka. That was totally worth a little embarrassment. Besides, why should you and I be embarrassed? We're in love, right?"

Maka and I lay there in each other's arms smelling of sex and drunk on lovemaking and I'm just starting to drift off when I hear Kid.

"I don't care if _they're_ doing it! Would you jump off a cliff if Maka and Soul did it?" and Maka and I have the best laugh we have had in what feels like ages.


	44. Chapter 44: Super Freakin'

_**Chapter 44: Super Freakin'; Rocket Man and Giraffe Woman?**_

"It's your turn for watch," Maka whispers as she nudges my foot with her hand. She's reaching in the tent still trying to keep watch while she rouses me for my shift. I drowsily come to remembering the events of the day and grin as the recollection of making love to her here in the tent returns to me.

She kicks me. "Soul, get up."

"I'm comin', slave driver. Gimme a minute."

I crawl out of my sleeping bag and brush past her as I exit the tent and even though I don't touch her I find her proximity intoxicating. I grab her hand and bring it around me.

"Soul! You're naked!" Oh, I guess I am. She shoves me back in the tent and I fumble around for my boxers and pants and shirt.

"Ugh!" She moans. "You are so slow sometimes." She leans over feeling around in the tent to help me find my clothes and I find her hand and yank her wrist so she falls into my arms.

"Good morning, beautiful," I say before clamping my lips onto hers. She wiggles around trying to get away and I laugh as I kiss her.

"Soul, knock it off. You're on watch duty."

"Ummmhhmm," I acknowledge. "And I'm awake, alert, and responsive…" I say huskily into the curve of her neck as I kiss it.

She moans, but it isn't an agitated moan. That is the moan of wanting more, I'm sure of it.

"Soul, I think that Professor Stein would say that you may be alert…and….ooooohhhh," she moans again. "But this doesn't qualify as adequate guard duty."

"Fine, then come with me."

"Soul, we can't-"

I stop kissing her and let her hand drop from mine. "I promise I'll behave myself. I'd just like the company. We can watch the sun come up."

There is silence for a moment which I know to be a good thing, because if she's quiet that means she is considering my request. It's when she answers fast that the answer is always, "no."

"Ok, but you can't be doing…that."

"Ok," I take her hand in mine. "Just a sec. I gotta pull my shoes on."

Our campsite is out of the chill of the snow territory as we are now at a lower elevation. Instead, there is that sense of crispness that autumn air has that I especially love.

Maka pulls out one of our sleeping bags and we sit down next to each other on it.

"Soul, I'm a little scared of what we might find when we get to Hidden Point…"

I put an arm around her. "Me, too."

"Do you think that our friends are dead?"

"Maybe some of them, but it sounds like Avian Flu wanted Black*Star alive so that's good news."

"What if by the time we get to him he's…different?"

"I dunno…I guess it depends how different. I mean, there's some things I'd _love_ to change about him. Maybe get him to not brag so much or realize when he's treating Tsubaki badly."

We sit next to each other in silence observing the world as it slowly becomes visible.

"Don't worry, Maka. We'll do all we can to get everybody back in one piece."

She leans against my shoulder. "Soul, I love you," she says with urgency. "I really, really do."

I smile. "Love you, too."

A little while later, the sounds of our friends stirring wakes me up.

"Some night watchman you are, Soul," Liz complains.

"It's ok. I was awake," Maka says. "I let him drift off. He was tired."

"I _bet_ he was," Liz says knowingly and Maka blushes. "Sounds like you gave him a workout last night." This could be a very long day for my meister and me if we keep getting teased about our vocal love making session.

Patti and Kid emerge from the tent. Kid is wearing a black t-shirt and flannel pajama pants and looking very drowsy. "Aw, look at him," Patti says meaning me. "He's sleeping so peacefully. See, Kid I told you sex takes away insomnia. That's why I think it would be a really good idea-"

"Enough! I am sure that Maka and Soul would rather you two not pry into their private lives."

"It isn't prying when we can hear it from _our_ tent," Liz defends and Kid walks up to her shaking his head.

"Could you two _please _behave yourselves? It reflects badly on our symmetry when you're constantly focused on sex."

Patti sighs, "Maybe if I had some I wouldn't be so focused on it."

"I find that _highly_ unlikely, princess," Kid says. "Now go into the tent and get changed, both of you, or I will go first and I will not react kindly if you barge in on me."

As we enter New Mexico we let out a cheer as we anticipate being in Hidden Point within the hour at the pace Liz and I have been driving, but it isn't long before we encounter heavy traffic. I shout up to Liz who has been in the lead for the last few hours, "What the hell? Construction?" Maka shakes her head and shouts that she doesn't know and I grumble. It seems extraordinarily unfair to come so close to what you think is the end of your journey for the day and then discover that you are stuck in some kind of bullshit traffic jam. Who has traffic jams? I didn't even know there were this many motorized transports anywhere except at the Indianapolis Speedway.

"Looks like we might be here for a while," I tell Kid and he grumbles, too. Our patience is wearing thin. We're all injured in one way or another and none of us have had a shower in a couple days. Patti, who is in the sidecar of the other motorcycle, unbuckles herself and turns around and starts blowing bubbles letting them drift back towards us. She waves and Kid and I wave back.

"Smile, sweeties. At least we haven't gotten into an accident! Love you!" she shouts, blowing kisses in our direction, which I feel safe in presuming are geared at Kid and not me.

"You know," I comment watching her. "Patti has a very annoying way of never being upset. Is that for real or some kind of act?"

Kid laughs. "It's real, for the most part." She tilts her head to display her neck as if offering it up to a vampire.

I laugh, "I think someone wants a kiss back."

"She always wants a kiss," Kid says. "I'm going to make her wait a little bit though." He says it rather mischievously.

"She isn't going to stop is she?" I ask.

"No, Liz and Patti are some of the most persistent people I know."

One of the reaper's hands reluctantly moves from my waist to his lips and he blows two kisses in her direction. "One for you and one for Liz. Now put your damn seatbelt back on before you get hurt." He shouts.

She giggles and shouts back, "We'd have to be moving for me to get hurt."

"I'm not convinced of that!" Kid shouts and then returns to the conversation we were having. "Patti can get really angry, but overall she's a very chipper soul. She's child-like in her optimism. It makes it hard to take her into gruesome battles. I don't want her to lose that quality. It's a rare gift she brings to the world."

"Makes ya kinda feel like a pedophile doesn't it?" I laugh.

He hits me on the back. "Ugh. I do not have _those_ kinds of feelings for her."

"Sure you do. You just aren't ready to admit it yet and that's ok. You just might want to do it before you're in the reaper mask fulltime." He grumbles. "When is that going to happen, anyway? I don't get how that works. Is there like a term limit on being Lord Death? Maka said something the other day about when I'm a Death Scythe you sending me out on missions and, honestly, it kind of freaked both of us out. Not that you won't do a great job, I'm sure you'd do a hell of a lot better than your old man, but thinking of you that way is…well, just plain weird."

"I know what you mean. My father is a nice guy, but has the organization skills of…well…you."

"Thanks. You could have at least said Black*Star."

"Fine. My father can be a bit of a nincompoop at times which makes me eager to ascend to the position, but on the flipside…I don't know what that really means for me. I suppose it doesn't matter as I don't even have a choice in the matter, but my father hasn't told me shit about it. Apparently, he doesn't consider it important to give me any kind of preview of what's to come or he doesn't think I'm ready yet. Which leaves me having no concept of what my future might be like and it affects every aspect of my life…and my partners'."

"Is that the real reason you aren't doing anything about your feelings?"

Kid grumbles. "That and…I…"

Kid and I hear a strange noise behind us along with a lot of shouting. We turn to see people bailing from their conveyances to avoid being hit by something coming up fast from behind us. I have a flashback to Falconer and his motorcycle, but this is definitely not a motorcycle…I'm not sure what it is but no motorcycle can move _that_ fast.

"Kid, what the fuck is that?" I ask hoping that with his vast reaper knowledge he might know about some kind of vehicle I don't.

"I have no idea!" he shouts as I give the handlebars a tug to pull us over to the side of the road hoping that we will manage to get out of its way.

"Liz, pull over!"

"Patti, tell Liz to get the fuck over!" We're screaming and waving our hands but the girls seem oblivious. Even Maka who is normally very vigilant with her observation skills seems spaced out. She may even be asleep. I can't blame her. It's been a long day and we are all fading fast.

Kid and I watch in horror as a rocket propelled old-fashioned bicycle, with the front wheel five times larger than the rear wheel, flies past vehicle after vehicle behind us headed straight for the girls. Kid leaps off our bike and runs toward the black motorcycle and I follow him not sure if he has some kind of plan or what but knowing I'm not standing by the sidelines as all my friends get clobbered by some kind of asinine new mode of transportation.

"STOP!" thunders Kid and I transform into scythe form figuring if nothing else a dude dressed all in black holding a big ole scythe in the middle of the street will generally get a decent amount of attention. People around us start clapping as though this is some form of entertainment for them. The cheering wakes Maka up who starts shouting at the girls and they all start scrambling to get as far away from the motorcycle as possible.

The bike is flying toward us so fast I close my eyes. We are about to get run over by the only jet-powered, motorized bicycle I have ever seen. At least our obituaries will make for entertaining reading. Then I hear the squeal of brakes. I crack my eyes open an inch and see that the gigantic front tire of the bicycle has stops about two inches from Kid.

"Hey, cool! You guys really know how to get in the spirit!" The shaggy-haired bike rider says. He seems totally relaxed and completely oblivious to the large numbers of people shaking their fists and cursing him that he has left in the wake of his travels.

Kid exhales a breath he has been holding and I turn back into my human form. We are both shaking like leaves in a tornado.

"What gives?!" The bicycle-riding dude asks. "Are you guys a meister and a demon weapon? Wow. I didn't know that your kind came to the Freak Show! This is gonna be more awesome than I thought! Can I-"

"Are you aware that your vehicle," Kid eyes the contraption with distaste. "Is a public menace that almost ran over our friends _and_ did damage to countless other people's vehicles behind you?" Kid says pointing at the numerous people behind his rocket-propelled bike. Many are standing in a state of shock trying to gather their possessions, mode of transportations, and perhaps digging through their belongings for a fresh pair of underwear. Others have gone form fist waving to flashing some very colorful hand gestures in the direction of the shaggy haired man's vehicle.

The shaggy haired man laughs, "Yeah, I've got some fine tuning to do before I go public selling these babies. But damn are they fast! I was in Kansas when I got up this morning."

Holy crap! "Well, I would advise you to return to traditional foot power or suffer my wrath. I need to go check on my ladies. Excuse me," Kid says glaring at the man and cursing the bicycle rider's nonchalant manner under his breath.

"Wow. Your friend's somethin' else, man. Where ya from?" he asks me. The dude doesn't seem like a bad guy, but he really doesn't seem to understand how what he has done was not only inconsiderate but extremely dangerous. What kind of idiot propels a bicycle by a rocket into an entire street load of people?!

"We're from Nevada. What was it you said you were here for?" I ask as Maka walks up and puts her arm around me.

"The fifteenth annual Frrrreeeeeaaaakkk Show! It gets better every year man. Freaky people come from all over to show off their oddities and _anything_ goes, man. It's like Mardi Gras only _wilder_. You ready to get your freak on little lady?" He asks Maka and for once she seems speechless.

"I think she's still in a state of shock from almost having been goosed by your bicycle," I tell him.

"Yeah, it's hard for some people to fathom this level of cool." I turn around and walk away from the idiot. I have zero tolerance for those with such a warped perception of what is cool.

"You ok?" I ask Maka and she nods. We walk over to the side of the road to join our friends. Patti and Liz are lying by the road side catching their breath.

"Everybody ok?" I ask. Patti and Liz nod.

"But we do have a minor problem," Kid says. "This carnival thing is a big deal…I guess. That's why all the traffic is backed up and I just talked to a gentleman over there who said that all the hotels for miles around were booked up months ago."

"Are you serious? Fuck. I really wanted a shower!" I whine. Great! Another night of camping. I grumble. My mind drifts to taking a shower with Maka and how we could lather each other up with soap washing off days of sweat and grime before getting ourselves all sweaty again. The vision is so beautiful, so wonderful that I refuse to give up on it.

"I say we off road it and find another way into town. Investigate, do what we need to do and then head out. If we're fast we might get far enough away we can find a hotel with space." All of us are exhausted, but everybody nods in agreement. We don't need to be caught up in the craziness of some big party when we are supposed to be working, not if most of the people it attracts are as stupid as rocket man over there. If we get in and get out we can head on to Mexico today.

It takes some effort, but we manage to find a way into Hidden Point from the east and we park our motorcycles there double-checking that we aren't leaving anything too valuable on them as it seems like this kind of event would be a target for any number of unsavory thieves or so our thieves in residence, Patti and Liz, inform those of us who are more naive.

"I'm starvin'," I announce as we walk into town and for once everyone agrees with me. We follow our noses to an outdoor vendor in a large plaza. She is selling all kinds of authentic Tex Mex items and we order enough to feed a small army and Patti uses her cuteness to our advantage and scores us a picnic table in the outdoor seating area.

I gobble down a couple quasadias before asking what the plan is.

Maka's stomach is audibly growling as she says, "I'll run Soul Perception as soon as I finish this taco. If I don't get some food into me I won't be able to do it as well."

Kid surveys the area. "Having this high a concentration of people shouldn't cause too much of a problem in picking up on the presence of any of class mates here, but it may make it harder to actually locate them if we perceive they are here."

I nod. The place is _packed_ and to make matters even worse there are so many people here in outlandish costumes that Avian Flu members could waltz right into town without getting a second glance. Patti points at a garish costume that makes an otherwise attractive woman appear to have a neck as long as a giraffe's. Patti loves it, but it makes me think of some of the experiments I've heard Professor Stein threatened to carry out before he got his screw implanted.

Maka grabs a second hard shell taco and devours it in about three bites, takes a large slurp of water from her canteen and then says, "Ok, here we go." She lowers her head and I can feel her mind as it navigates around my soul and the souls of our friends seated at the table with us.

Even though I have no Soul Perception ability of my own I match her soul wavelength to offer her strength as I'm sure it's got to be more draining to search amongst hundreds of people like this. She opens her eyes and reports to the group. "I don't sense any of our comrades, but there is another demon weapon here…not Tsubaki."

"Could it be Geoffrey?"

"No. It's an undisciplined soul, not like another student of the Good Arts. Honestly, I don't think it's had any training."

"Hhhmmm. Well we best ask around and keep our eyes out for the other Demon Weapon. That person might have information that would be helpful to us."

We quickly finish our meal and split ourselves up into pairs to see if anyone saw Tsubaki before she left town. Patti comes along with Maka and me. We walk around showing people a photo of Tsubaki that Patti had in her wallet. No one seems to have any information, but it's not surprising. A lot of people are like us and only arriving today and it may have been a couple days ago that she passed through here.

As we meander around the festival we encounter a lot of street vendors and even I struggle not to be sucked in by some of their wares. There's an entire booth selling miniature replica motorcycles. Maka grabs my arm and steers me away from it forcefully, but then we realize we've lost Patti.

"Ugh! We probably lost her back at that booth with all the cutesy stuffed animals," Maka says and I nod. We turn against the flow of traffic to return to the stuffed animal booth. The street is so crowded we end up apologizing every couple of feet for running into someone. When we get there we find that, sure enough, there is Patti standing next to the booth overflowing with adorable stuffies.

"We'll never find Tsubaki at this rate," Maka sighs as she marches over to get Patti back on task.

"Oh, there you are! Good! I have something to show you," Patti says taking Maka's hand.

"Patti, we don't have time to shop."

"There," Patti points to something in a small glass jewelry display case in the booth next to the stuffed animal vendor. "Doesn't that look just like a DWMA pin?"

My gaze falls on the silver object. To a normal observer you wouldn't know it as being anything other than a stylized Lord Death mask, but we recognize it immediately as the pin you receive upon admission to our elite academy. It's awarded in a special ceremony welcoming you into the world of demon hunting and Lord Death's army the first year you attend the DWMA.

"Excuse me," Maka says to the man behind the table. "Could we please see that skull mask pin?"

He takes it out and says, "That there is pure sterling silver. Very well cast."

Maka turns it over and confirms. It's stamped, "DWMA," and it's engraved with an individual number.

"Anybody know Tsubaki's pin number?" I ask. Patti and Maka shake their heads.

"Where did you get this?" Maka asks the salesman.

"I bought it off a girl who needed some money, if you must know. And I gave her a fair price. I'm selling it for fifty dollars. It's a beautiful piece."

Patti pulls out the photo of Tsubaki. "Is this the girl who sold it to you?"

"Yeah, I think so. She was very nice, but I felt kind of sorry for her she seemed kind of desperate. Told me she had gotten separated from someone she cared about and was hitchhiking to where he was. I told her that it wasn't safe for someone so young and pretty to be traveling alone, but she insisted she was a trained fighter and could care for herself."

"When was that?" Maka asks as we all cross our fingers that it was earlier today. Let her be near here, let us find her!

"Yesterday…er…maybe the day before. Everything kind of runs together round festival time."

"Do you have any kind of record? We're friends of hers-"

"You guys who she's lookin' for?"

"No, she's trying to find one of our other friends, but we'd like to travel together."

"Well, I'd be much relieved to know that she wasn't alone. She seemed sad and I feel like she didn't really want to part with that pin. Though, what a pretty girl like that would want with an ugly skull pin is beyond me."

The man tells us he has to help another costumer, but that he will look in his ledger and see when he bought the pin. He goes to take it back and put it in the case, but I shake my head.

"We're going to buy it."

I pull out our remaining cash.

"Soul, we need that for gas," Maka whispers to me.

"I know but I'm sure Kid can get us more. There is no way I'm going to leave Tsubaki's class pin here where anyone could buy it. It belongs with her."

"You never wear yours," Maka says.

"Yeah, but it would be one of the last things I would hawk."

Patti pulls money from her pocket, too. "I agree with Soul. She only sold it because she took off on her own and cause of that doesn't have any money from Lord Death."

I hadn't thought of that. Unlike the rest of us who have a budget for food and travel expenses she is doing this with whatever small amount of money she has squirrelled away somewhere. I get a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach about what she might get asked to do to make quick money.

The salesman takes our money and a few minutes later returns with an accounting book in his hand. His finger slides down the page. "Aw, here she is. Day before yesterday…in the afternoon. I remember I'd just finished eating my lunch."

"She didn't happen to say where she was headed next did she?"

"No, sorry."

"Thanks."

I hand the pin to Patti. "Patti, how 'bout you keep this for now? I keep losing everything."

"Yup. I'll put it right here in my pocket," she says happily.

"We should find Kid and Liz and let them know there is no point in us staying here since she probably hasn't been here for a couple days."

I agree with Maka. It looks like we may be heading to Mexico without her which unsettles me. Tsubaki is strong and a good fighter, but no one should have to be alone.

We head into the square where we had our tacos and find that some kind of performance is about to start.

"Any luck?" Kid says hopefully as he and Liz try to find a spot to stand beside us that won't be in someone else's way.

"Sort of. We found someone who saw her, but that was two days ago. She sold her class pin for money."

Kid goes white.

"We bought it back," Patti says but Kid still looks disturbed. I suspect his perverted brain went the same place mine did when hearing how badly she needs money and we didn't even mention the hitchhiking thing to him.

"And they don't have any idea where she went?" Liz asks.

"No, but if Kid and Maka aren't sensing her here she must have moved on."

"Great!" he says angrily. "We better head out then."

Patti walks over to her meister and puts her arms around him. "It's ok, Kid. We knew it was a long shot. At least it sounds like the birds haven't gotten Tsubaki." He nods.

"I think I need a moment before we go." Patti nods and reaches up and caresses his hair before walking back over to us.

"Poor, Kid. He carries such a weight on his shoulders."

Liz joins her sister. "Yeah. I think he might start crying. I can feel his anxiety ratcheting up. His soul wavelength is doing that funny thing again."

"Has he been doing his meditation?" They ask looking to me for some reason.

"Uh…you mean when he puts his headphones on and zones out?"

"Yeah."

"I think so. I've been mainly paying attention to the road. Sorry."

"We need to try harder," Patti says. "I hate when he gets in the dumps."

"You know I think all your sexy talk might be stressing him out." I tell them and Maka nods.

"I don't know why," says Liz. "All we ever do is try to help him have a good time. It's not my fault he won't get laid."

"He's saving himself for love," Patti says. "I think it's sweet."

"It is sweet, but if he's not careful he's going to go so long without it he'll be too scared to ever do it."

"I think you two should give him a break. He's a reaper. That's gotta be hard," I say.

"Don't you think we know that!" Liz says. "I mean we're the ones in love with the guy."

I look back and forth between them. "You are? For reals? _Both_ of you?"

"Duh," says Patti rolling her eyes like I'm the world's biggest idiot. "I practically worship the ground he walks on, the big loser!" She bursts into tears and Liz wraps her arm around her sister.

"I know," Liz says snuggling her. "He doesn't make it easy."

The performance begins and Kid still isn't back from wherever he went.

"We present to you the Hidden Point FREAK show! First, a man with a tail. We call him Toledo!" A hunky looking guy with a tail walks out.

"Hey ladies, how bout I give _you_ some tail."

Maka and the twins curl their lips in repulsion as the man with the tail dances around the stage showing off the flexibility, strength, and length of his tail.

"What a sleaze," Patti says. "Eeeewwww. Look at those girls in the front row. They just threw their panties up on stage. Gross!"

"Next, we have a child so dangerous we have to keep him in a cage! Welcome, Bang! Bang! Brian!"

From behind the curtain a large cage is wheeled out. Inside, a small boy with brown hair, brown eyes, and tan skin sits in the box made of iron bars. He stands up and gives the audience a menacing look before transforming into a machine gun.

"He's a Demon Weapon!" I shout.


	45. Chapter 45: Ass Bags, Pricks and Dicks

**risenfromash**: This story now has over 50 favorites! Thank you! It brightens my day whenever I get reviews or people signing up to follow the story.

_**Chapter 45: Ass Bags, Dicks, and Pricks; Liz, Why so Rough?**_

I gasp. A Demon Weapon in a cage at a freak show! I try to be a pretty forgiving guy. I forgave Crona for almost killing Maka and me. I forgive Black*Star for all the shit he does that gets me into trouble and for not pulling his punch when he hit Maka that one time. I forgave Professor Stein for threatening to fillet all of us open. But there are a few things I see as black and white and the exploitation of Demon Weapons is one of those things and here it is right in front of me. I have to do something.

"Soul, calm down. We'll figure out what we need to do to get him out of there. I promise," Maka says. My meister doesn't even have to sense my wavelength to know I'm upset. At the DWMA I'm something of the local expert on the discrimination Demon Weapons have endured throughout the centuries.

"Maka, is that the weapon you were sensing?" I ask.

She closes her eyes for a moment to concentrate. "Yes, he's for real. It isn't smoke and mirrors. He's definitely a Demon Weapon…and…yes, he's the one I sensed earlier. He hasn't had any training. He may not even know what he is."

"We gotta get him out of there," I say.

Maka nods.

Our previous plan to head out of town is immediately put on hold by the entire group. Despite our eagerness to try to save our friends finding an untrained Demon Weapon takes precedence; as students of the DWMA one of our duties is to recruit other students, but Maka and I have never come across another weapon or meister other than Crona. I guess you could say Kid recruited the Thompsons, but that was before he was even officially enrolled so that was a little different.

"So…uh… Maka, how do we go about doing this?" I ask. I know we need to get to the kid and see how much he knows about his gift and tell him what Lord Death's school can offer him, but I don't have a clear idea of how we're supposed to go about doing that. "What do you think we should do? You think we can sneak back stage and talk to him?" I ask.

Maka shakes her head. "No, they've got security. Look at those guys on either side of the stage. I think they're like bouncers. Probably keeping the groupies away from tail man," she says with disgust.

Kid grins. "Patti, Liz, my dears…what do you think? You think you could sneak by the thugs and get back stage?"

"No prob," says Patti as Liz studies the stage set up. "There are ways we can do it for sure, but what are we supposed to do?"

"Invite him to come talk to us," I tell them. "We're under an obligation to try to get him out of here."

"Ok, but what do we do if he doesn't want to meet with us or they won't let him come with us?" Liz asks.

"That's a good point," Kid says. "He's quite the show stopper; they probably don't like him wandering around without an escort." He taps a finger to his lip. "I suppose you'll just have to take him by force if you have to," he says with a shrug.

"Ok, boss," Liz says. "We can go now if you want."

"That would be excellent. We'll meet you in that alleyway over there." He indicates a narrow alley cluttered with crates and debris and we start walking to it as Liz and Patti head toward the stage.

"You know, Kid, you're one scary dude," I comment.

He frowns. "Why would you say that?"

"One minute you're running in front of rockets and the next you're ordering kidnappings. Maka and I have such a tame existence compared to you and the Thompsons."

He shrugs. "I'm a Grim Reaper. It comes with the territory, I guess."

We situate ourselves in the alley and debate how exactly to introduce the concept of becoming a DWMA student to the boy.

"I think Soul should do most of the talking as he can talk from the perspective of a weapon and he is quite persuasive. Soul's presentation on what being a Demon Weapon means to him moved Patti and Liz to tears," Kid says.

Maka smiles, "It moved me to tears, too. It's the only "A" he got all last year."

"Ha, ha. Not all of us can be as nose-to-the-grindstone as the two of you. I get by. Why work so hard to get an "A" when I can still be a Death Scythe with a "C"?"

"Ah, Soul, maybe that will be a good angle to take with him. He doesn't have to actually apply himself, he can just coast," Maka says glaring at me.

"Oh, Lord! Are we going to fight about this _again_? I work hard at what matters. Do I ever not practice attacks with you? Do I ever say enough is enough when you work me to death? No. But I'm a weapon. All that theory crap may make sense for you meisters to study, but as a weapon, _I_ don't need to know it. Besides, I know you can't stand not to know absolutely everything so why should I learn it when I know you have it memorized and cataloged in your mind library. If I ever actually need to know any of that theory crap I can just ask you," I say grinning at my meister who looks irked.

Kid laughs. "He does have a point, Maka."

My meister groans. "I hassle Soul because I know that the real reason he doesn't study is because he doesn't think being a bookworm is cool and he fears that if he cracked open his textbook one more time than was absolutely necessary that he would turn into a know-it-all like Ox."

"Yet, my partner is the biggest nerdy bookworm in the entire school. Kid, don't you think that invalidates my meister's opinion entirely?"

He shrugs. "Opposites attract?" He pulls his pocketwatch from his coat. "Why are they taking so long?"

"Keep your pants on Kid. They probably just hit a snag. I'm sure they're fine," I tell him. It's true they are taking a while, but Maka and I aren't sweating it yet and neither should he. Still, I empathize with him. It's that feeling of being lost without your partner with you that causes this level of impatience.

Kid grumbles and begins to pace. "I hate sending them to do stuff like this-"

"Really? You seem to do it easily," Maka says.

"Yes, well I _seem_ many things I'm not. I _seem_ to not be bothered by the fact that banner over there proclaiming this plaza as 'Freak Central' is hanging crooked. It's appalling, an abomination. I _seem_ to not be annoyed that your partner insists on allowing his shoelace to drag on the ground rather than taking the extra minute it would take to tie it properly. I _seem_ to have gotten over the fact Tsubaki is not here, but believe me, _I have not _and I _seem_ to send Patti and Liz off easily but I am, in fact, counting in my head the dozen or so outstanding warrants they still have and fearing that any day now the long arm of the law will interfere with our team or Avian Flu will get them and just when I've managed to get them so well trained…"

The dude is starting to come a little unglued. I look to Maka for assistance, but she also seems unsure of what to do.

"Kid, try not to get yourself, too wound up, ok? Remember, Maka and I are here to help you guys out. You're not having to do any of this alone and we'll find Tsubaki. I've got a good feeling about it." Ok, that's kind of a lie, but I don't have a _bad_ feeling about it.

"I just don't know what I would do if something happens to them… whenever they're out of my sight I get all pins and needlely," he says shaking his body as though trying to wake it up from sleep.

"Yet, you've been known to leave them alone in a tomb full of mummies," I point out.

He stops shaking and looks at me in surprise. "How on earth do you know about that?" Kid asks me.

I shrug. "Weapons talk."

Kid paces back and forth in the alley. "That's it. It's Soul Perception time and if I discover they have stopped to buy a new shade of nail polish I swear I will…" He closes his eyes and after a moment a smile returns to his face. "Oh, _there_ they are and the weapon boy is with them." He opens his eyes and says to Maka and me, "They'll be here in just a couple of minutes."

I walk over to stand next to Maka leaning on the brick wall in such a way that Kid can't see me speak to her.

"Oh, my Lord! He's worse than I am about you!"

She giggles. "I think it's cute how much he cares about them."

"Yeah, but he won't actually admit he's like this to either one of them. It's fucked up."

Maka laughs and gives me a kiss on the cheek. "Here they come."

Patti arrives followed by Liz who is carrying a burlap sack that is wiggling. Liz drops the sack on the ground letting it fall and in no way trying to cushion it.

"Here you go," the taller sister says. "Package delivered. I'm done." She steps aside seemingly eager to be rid of the bag. Kid, Maka, and I stand there in shock at the Thompsons' less than sensitive care of the 'package' but Patti says, "Don't judge us till after you meet him." And then in a louder voice speaking to the bag says, "Brian, we got some friends for you to meet."

Kid motions for me to come with him. I stand by him as he unties the top of the sack and pulls the bag down and the boy transforms into his AK-47 form.

"Hello," Kid starts. "You have an amazing skill. I'm sorry if my ladies were a bit rough with you-"

The child transforms back into human form and we see that the girls have tied a red bandana around his face as a gag. Maka goes over and unties it and he immediately starts shouting, "What kind of freaks are you? What the hell do you want with me?" Then he whirls around to the Thompsons and waves a finger at them. "That was a dirty trick, you two! You could have at least done _one_ of the things you said you were gonna do."

Kid raises an eyebrow at the two girls and Liz shrugs. "You said to get him here you didn't specify how."

"Allow me to introduce myself. I am Death the Kid. Liz" Liz waves disinterestedly "and Patti" Patti waves ecstatically "are my partners and this is Soul Eater and Maka."

"Great. That was really fuckin' interesting, but I got another matinee to-"

"Not so fast, short stuff," I say grabbing him by the collar. "We need to talk to you."

"Oh, and why would I want to talk to you?" he says as he spits the words at me. I switch my arm to a scythe and Liz and Patti transform into guns jumping into Kid's open hands.

"Whoooaaa. You can do it, too, huh?" He scans the five of us. There is no doubt that we have captured his attention, if not his respect.

"Yes," Maka says. "You and Soul and Liz and Patti are all Demon Weapons. Do you know what that means?"

"That we're way more special than you and that dick in the black?" he says pointing to Kid. I let go of the boy's collar and wrap my arm around him trying to make it seem like a chummy gesture though I feel a great desire to squeeze him till he pops like an engorged tick.

Liz and Patti transform back into human form standing behind their meister.

"We are students of the Demon Weapon and Meister Academy in Death City, Nevada," Kid explains. "My father founded the school to train the gifted to battle evil forces throughout the world ensuring that a balance is maintained between good and evil."

"Sounds fascinating, but I don't need to go to school. I've got enough talent to make it on my own."

"Yeah," says Liz sarcastically. "You seem to be doing really well for yourself. I know one of my greatest aspirations has always been to be housed in a cage during a freak show."

"I'd pay _good money_ to watch that show," Brian says leering at her tits. Kid's nostrils flare in agitation. I think we are all beginning to see why Liz dumped him on the ground. This boy is a real piece of work.

"The truth is you don't have much of a choice. There's a war going on right now and an organization called Avian Flu-"

"Whaaahhhahhhhaahhhhahhhhahhha! 'Avian Flu'! You guys are fuckin' nuts," he says slapping his leg and laughing.

"Excuse me, but you just cut off my meister who was trying to tell you that your life may be in danger. So, you might want to shut the fuck up. You got it?" Liz orders marching up to stand beside Kid.

"Listen up," Maka says trying again. "We fight demons. Kid and I are meisters. Meisters have the special ability to be able to wield Demon Weapons. Partnered together meisters and weapons work synergistically to create more powerful attacks than either could alone. Our job is to claim the souls of people who have become so evil their souls have become Kishin Eggs."

I nod. "That is what a Demon Weapon is meant to do; not live like some item in a museum. It's disgusting. Doesn't it make you mad to have people gawk at you like that?"

The boy shrugs. "Sometimes. But they feed me and I see the world. It's a better life than I had with my mom."

"Demon Weapons and meisters have an obligation to use their gift for the betterment of humanity," I say. "We are giving you the opportunity to do some good with your gift-"

"Nobody ever did any good for _me_."

"Listen here, you punk." Liz walks up to him and leans over him. "Years ago I thought I was a badass, too. Sis and I were thieves and not small time stuff. No, we took down banks, even a train. We thought we were cool, but it wasn't until we met Kid and he gave us the chance to use our abilities for good that we became truly happy. You've obviously had a shitty life. I get it. We did too, but you're being given a chance to change your fate and do what you were born to do."

The boy laughs right in Liz's face. Patti walks up and backhands him.

"You don't laugh at my sister! She just told you about the most important day of our lives, the day we met our meister. It wasn't until we started taking down demons that we really became bad asses."

"Let me get this straight. Kid there is your….what was it…master?" The punk asks. "Kinky! He ever share you with other dudes?"

"That's enough!" Kid thunders as he runs up to the youth pushing his partners aside. "You had better get one thing straight. You can be as big a prick as you want to me, but Liz and Patti are off limits."

"Oh, come on. I just wanted to learn more about what exactly they do for you. Cause I got a girlfriend and I need to make sure that I get at least that much. You know what I mean?"

I feel sick to my stomach. "How old are you?" I ask him.

"Ten." He says it proudly like that's more than enough time to have figured everything out.

"Ten?!" I can't believe this. "Ten and you have a filthy mouth and a crappy ass attitude. You need to worry less about girls and a lot more about becoming a decent human being. Have you ever had any friends?"

"I don't _need_ friends."

I'm so done with this punk. "Fine, then go, because if you truly believe that then you're not DWMA material. Because there is nothing we believe in more than supporting our teammates and we were inviting you to be a part of that, but I guess that's not what you believe in or want. So, go; live your life as an asshole without having anyone or anything to care about, but know that _you_ chose that life. You had a chance to escape and you let it pass you by."

He walks away, but before he reaches the plaza he turns back, "Hey, do you guys know Black*Star?"

My eyes open wider. He knows something about Black*Star! "What do you know about Black*Star?" I ask.

"He gave me pretty much the same talk, him and some other dude. They said they were gonna come get me and take me to some special school, but they never came back so when you see him tell him I fucking hate him. He's the biggest loser ever and I don't care-"

Nobody says that about my best friend! Without thinking I punch the brat in the face.

"Soul!" Maka jumps up and pulls me back. "What are you doing?! He's just a little kid!"

"He doesn't sound like a kid! He thinks he's all tough and he's shit talking Black*Star!"

"So, you know him?" Brian says. "Well when you see him tell him he sucks ass, because I would have gone with _him_, but he never came back, ass wipe."

"That's because he got attacked by Avian Flu, you little-" Maka places a hand over my mouth to muffle the cascade of obscenities flowing from it. I've completely lost it. I'm fighting her with every muscle I have and tears are pouring from my eyes. But, through my rage I hear her voice calmly explain the situation to him.

"Black*Star is one of our closest friends. He's been abducted by Avian Flu and he could be dead, but we have obtained information that says that he's being held in a facility not far from here. That's where we're headed. I'm sorry Soul hit you, but you have to understand, Black*Star is his best friend and he's worried sick about him."

"You're serious that there's some kind of war going on?"

"I'm not wearing all these bandages for the festival," she says.

The boy takes another long look at the assembled group of teenagers in front of him. I stop trying to get at him and Maka relaxes her grasp on me.

"Would my partner be hot?" he asks no one in particular.

"You would pick your own partner," Kid answers. "But I would suggest having a better selection process than 'hot or not'. And you'll need to improve your attitude or no one will be willing to partner with you."

"How come you have _two_ partners and this chick's only got lunatic boy?"

"I am most effective with a different kind of balance than most meisters. Over the years Patti, Liz, and I have found that we make an optimum team. Besides, I'm ambidextrous. It would be a waste for me to only use one handgun."

"Handguns? Bah. Why not use a hardcore gun, like me?"

"It would be hard for him to pull the trigger of an AK-47 with his pinky," Patti gushes.

"What?"

"Come on we'll show you on the way out of town," I say and start to walk out of the alley. I turn back to face him telling myself that this is his last chance. If he comes with us I will try to tolerate him. If he stays behind, so be it. "You coming or not? Because I was on the way to help rescue some of my friends so I refuse to waste any more of my time dealing with you. The choice is yours. Either continuing living the way you are now or take a chance on making a better life for yourself and the world."

Liz and Patti clap. "Beautiful, Soul. Just beautiful. The DWMA needs to make a promo ad with you in it saying those words."

"Shut the fuck up, you two," I grumble.

"We're serious," Liz says. "I'm not making fun of you. It's just shocking when you go all inspirational on us."

"So, Maka is that how you feel when he get romantic? Does he start spouting love sonnets and stuff?"

Maka laughs. "No, Soul still hates poetry."

"Damn right. Stupid ass poetry is for losers…and geeks, like her," I say pointing to Maka and she shakes her head at me.

As the rest of the group follows me I refuse to look behind me. If we get to the motorcycles and he's there he's one of us. If he isn't there I say screw him, because we need to get to Black*Star it's taken us entirely too long already.

I weave through the crowd with Maka behind me. I whisper to her, "Is he following us?"

"I don't know. You want me to look back?"

"No. It's like playing chicken. You and I can't look back. We have to show we're serious and we don't give a shit about him unless he chooses to come with us."

We get to the motorcycles. "All right," I say. "Let's mount up, and ladies, can we please go at least five miles before stopping for our first pit stop?"

"Where am I gonna ride?" I hear the voice and breathe a sigh of relief. He's a punk and I already want to pummel him into the pavement, but he needs our help and has chosen to accept it so I'm going to do my best to be nice to him despite the fact he is acting like a spoiled little a-hole and making extremely lewd comments about the girls.

I smile. "Well, Brian. That's a good question because it looks like we don't have enough seats…but Patti could go into weapon form…or you and Patti could squeeze into the sidecar together.

"That'd be fine," he says eyeing Patti's tits.

"Nevermind," I say immediately. "Patti you'll be riding in weapon form with Maka. Brian, get in the sidecar." Brian obediently walks over to the sidecar while Liz stuffs things into it.

Kid watches our newest companion and warily whispers to Maka and me, "I'm going to suggest that he never be without Soul or I. There are too many things we don't know about him and hopefully he's all talk, but I don't want anyone getting hurt."

"Yeah, his soul wavelength is going crazy. It's unclear what he might do if triggered," Maka says she walks over to join him and the Thompsons at the other bike.

"I'm going to ride with Liz and Patti and the brat," Kid tells me as though it isn't a huge surprise.

"You sure you can handle it?"

"Yes, I should be fine. Besides, I've intruded long enough on your time with Maka."

"You want to get to be the one to shot that punk if he tries to lay a hand on Liz or Patti, don't cha?"

Kid grins. "You make me sound like an inherently violent person. I just happen to be a better shot than Maka so it's probably a good job for me. Besides, I've missed Liz and Patti. You just aren't the same…"

"But you have _no_ feelings," I remind him.

"I didn't say I had _no_ feelings. I said I didn't have _those_ kinds of feelings. The Maka and Soul passionate I-can't-be-out-of-your-sight-for-more-than-ten-minutes-without-missing-you kinds of feelings."

I frown at him. "Are you making fun of me?"

"Yes, I am. You make it too damn easy. The whole time we were riding today you were watching her and whimpering."

"I was not whimpering."

"Guys," Liz yells. "Unless your conversation is about how to figure out where Tsubaki is or how to break into a military level compound you should not be continuing to talk. Everyone else is ready to go." I look around suddenly aware that everyone is waiting on us, even Brian, who is staring at us impatiently.

"Oh, uh, sorry," I babble awkwardly.

Kid runs over and tells Maka to trade him spots and she hands him Patti in weapon form and I hear the handgun giggle happily. "Oh, Kid! I'm so happy you're gonna hold me!"

"Yes, I'm going to hold you…and Liz, too." He situates himself so that Patti is in his hand ready to shot while he has his arms around Liz.

Maka runs up to me and hops on the bike kissing the back of my neck. "It's just like old times."

"Only now we not only have a grim reaper with OCD with us, but a ten year-old who thinks he's forty."

"He'll snap out of it soon, I'm sure. We just have to be patient and gain his trust."

"Yeah, well, he's going to have to earn _my_ trust, too. Kid and I aren't letting him alone with any of you girls. He acts like a sex criminal."

"I think you're right. It's an _act_."

"That wasn't what I meant."

"I know," she says happily and I gun the engine before taking off for south of the border.


	46. Chapter 46: Barriers to Bliss

_**Chapter 46: Barriers to Bliss; What Did They Do?!**_

We easily cross the border into Mexico and after a bit of a comedy of errors at the border are directed to the nearest decent hotel in a town known as Comunidad Arenoso, or the "Sandy Community." What a claim to fame…they have sand! But for one reason or another the place attracts tourists and so there are plenty of English speakers which is good because we realize that out of the group of us Kid and Patti are the only two fluent in Spanish. I can manage only two phrases, "Where is the bathroom?" and "Will you have sex with me?" because, like every teenage male, Black*Star and I memorized that all important question in as many languages as possible on the off chance we should ever meet an incredibly easy foreign chick or if all other people died we would have a chance of repopulating the planet even if the only woman left didn't speak English. _I miss him._

"Did they have a room?" Maka asks.

"Yeah, sorry it took so long. My Spanish is pretty rusty. I guess I was asking for horses rather than beds for a while…but I think we have it all straightened out now!" Patti says chipperly and I pray that she's right because we've been going nonstop for hours and hours and all I want to do is sleep. You wouldn't think riding a motorcycle could be that tiring. It's not like I'm pedaling or walking, but it's exhausting nonetheless.

We go up to the room and see that it has two large beds, either kings or queens I'm guessing, and a sofa that we soon discover converts to a bed. Kid immediately assigns the beds with Brian on the sleeper sofa, Patti and Liz in the bed nearest the window, Maka and I in the other bed, and him taking the floor between the girl's bed and the window. This leaves the aisle between the beds clear for those middle of the night bathroom breaks that he and I both know the girls will be taking since they apparently all have bladders the size of grapes.

"Oh, Kid I'm sorry! I tried to get a roll away bed for you. I guess they didn't understand," Patti apologizes.

"It's not a big deal," he says good-naturedly. "I can pile a couple of our bed rolls on top of one another to make it more comfortable." Then he immediately moves on to a plan for dinner which is great because we are all starving since none of us have had anything to eat since we rolled into Hidden Point. Kid and Patti decide to go out to get food for everyone while the rest of us chill out in the hotel room. They say it's the least they can do since they haven't had to drive and then they hurriedly point out that Maka needs to stay since she's the only other meister and take their leave of us.

Liz asks if anyone minds her taking a shower and Maka, Brian, and I tell her that's fine and I then throw myself on the bed. I am pretty close to sleep right away, but Maka starts talking to Brian and I find the conversation too interesting to ignore, even though I would swear I'd kill to get some shuteye so I lay there with my eyes closed, arms crossed listening as they talk.

"So, Brian, how long have you known you're a Demon Weapon? You're pretty young to have the ability fully developed like that."

"About three years."

"Wow! At seven, huh? I've only heard of it happening that young when a child is under extreme stress. You mind me asking what was going on in your life when you first started transforming?" she asks politely but with enough interest that it's obvious she wants him to open up to her.

I hear his voice answer back nonchalantly. "My mom was dating an especially rotten guy. They'd get high and forget I was there and when they weren't high they'd fight, swing chairs at each other, that kind of shit. One night they were especially bad and I got scared and I transformed."

"I bet that scared them."

"Oh, yeah! It sure did, but it also gave my mom an idea and within a couple weeks she had sold me to the traveling freak show so that she had money for her next fix."

"I'm sorry that happened to you," Maka says. "But I hope you can learn to trust us. There are a lot of really great people at the DWMA, except for my father…though, he actually sounds pretty great compared to your parents… but he's…well you'll see when you meet him…but overall everybody's pretty wonderful."

"I can't be too much worse off, as long as you guys feed me and stuff. I was getting tired of show biz anyways…three years is a long time. I kept wanting them to let me do something cool, but they didn't think I was ready. They kept telling me I was too young."

"Well, unfortunately, it sounds like you've had to grow up pretty fast. In a way it's like that with us. Fighting demons isn't exactly child's play, but you'll see that we try to balance that with a lot of good natured fun. Kid skateboards and everybody plays basketball, except for me. I suck at it. I try to make points from the yard line or whatever, but I can never do it. Let's see what else do we do for fun? The guys play video games. I read a lot. Soul is obsessed with Skeletoxin…We watch movies. We're pretty normal when we aren't out on a mission like this."

"Doesn't sound too bad. So, how long have you and Soul been together?"

"Oh, we've been partners for years…it's hard for me to even remember a time before I knew him, but then again it's natural for your partner to become a big part of your life. You live together, go to school together-"

"You _live_ together?"

"Yeah, you have to live with your partner. The Thompsons live with Kid."

"Wipe that look off your face! It isn't anything _kinky_. Everybody has their own room and bed…it's not usually like it is tonight, but when we're on a mission things are different. Hell, a few nights ago Soul and I slept in a public restroom together."

"Sounds glamorous," he scoffs.

"Yeah, it definitely _isn't_. We're slumming it a lot of the time and making it up as we go along. Our missions are usually just an objective and we have to figure out how to get it done so it's important that we pay attention in school and study hard when we aren't on missions."

"So, you and Soul…?"

"Something bother you about that?" Maka's words are as sharply edged as a razor. I continue to feign sleep because I'm curious how she's going to handle this.

"No, not bothered. I just think it's weird. It's like you're married."

"It's _much better_ than being married. Half of all marriages end in divorce, but that isn't the case for most DWMA partnerships. Most partners remain on very good terms even if they aren't working together anymore."

"So, what's the deal with Black*Star? When he talked to me he was with some dude-"

"That was Harvar, another one of our classmates."

"But he said that wasn't his usual partner. Something about how he was usually with some hot chick but she couldn't come with him this time."

"Was that his way of enticing you to join?" Maka sounds agitated. "Is that why you've been so keen on learning all about the partnerships?"

"No, I'm curious what would make a big, tough assassin act like such a pussy. He was really broken up and the dude with him-"

"_Harvar._"

"_Harvar_ didn't seem to appreciate it."

"Well, it's hard on everybody when partners who usually work together end up on assignments with other people. Back when Kid first enrolled Black*Star and Soul wanted to become a team and Tsubaki, that's Black*Star's partner, was really heartbroken about it."

"What happened?"

Maka laughs remembering my stupidity. "You can't be paired with just anyone. When Soul went into weapon form Black*Star couldn't even lift him. It was hilarious especially when you consider I can swing him all over the place and I'm strong, don't get me wrong, but Black*Star is a tank! But it didn't matter. Their souls work great as friends, but they aren't compatible as weapon and meister."

"Huh, and Kid's compatible with both Liz and Patti?"

"Yup. But Kid's always a bit of a special case with everything, because he's a reaper. He wouldn't even have to go to school if he didn't want to, but the three of them are determined to make their team as strong as possible so they undergo all the same training as we do."

"What lies you telling the newb about us?" Liz says walking out of the bathroom. She must be wearing pajamas and not just a towel because I don't hear a wolf whistle from the punk. Either that or he is smart enough to be scared of her.

"I was just telling him about how some people aren't compatible…as partners I mean."

"Oh, yeah. We're lucky that on this trip Maka can fill in for Kid in a pinch if they had to and, of course, Patti and I can wield each other so we're a pretty flexible crew, but sometimes it isn't like that. Kid has the worst time when he's partnered with anyone besides me or my sister. Soul is just about the only other weapon he can actually use."

"Does Soul really eat souls or were Patti and Kid just talking out their ass?"

"No, he really eats souls," Maka answers. "It's kind of gross to watch, because he can't chew them first so he just swallows them whole. I usually turn away."

"Soul _eating_ anything is gross in general," Liz whines. "But I suppose he has better table manners than Black*Star."

The door opens to reveal Kid and Patti carrying in multiple plastic bags filled with food.

"We decided that since we're in Mexico why not order Chinese food, because one language barrier is never enough," Kid jokes as he plunks down the bags of food. The smell of the food wafts my way and I sit up.

"See, he sleeps through guard duty this morning, but food wakes him up," Liz complains.

"Now, Brian," Maka begins. "It's important that you understand Soul was only sleeping while on guard duty because I extended my time on guard. He…we…would never allow such an important-"

"Maka, shut up and get some food," I tell my meister. "Brian, will have plenty of time to get initiated later." I pop open a Chinese food container that has something written on it with marker. I wonder if it's in Spanish, English, or Chinese but I can't tell. I start eating it from the container and Patti chews me out.

"Soul, you're _supposed_ to pass everything around first," Patti yells at me while shaking her head. "Just because Maka is happy to swap spit with you doesn't mean the rest of us are!"

The food is delicious and it is all gone amazingly quickly. After gorging myself I lie back down on the bed holding my gut.

"You need to learn to eat slower, Soul," Maka tells me. She has been telling me this for years, but for some reason she _continues_ to tell me this. I frown at her. For an intelligent person she has some very odd habits at times, such as giving me the same advice over and over again knowing I will simply chose to ignore it like I always do.

After the meal, we all gather in front of the bathroom mirror which is just outside the actual toilet and tub area and dial Lord Death.

"Well, hello, kids!" Lord Death says cheerily.

"We'd like to introduce you to a young Demon Weapon named Brian," Maka says.

Brian steps forward gawking at the way we utilize the mirror to communicate. "That's so awesome."

Lord Death chuckles. "It is awesome, indeed. So, tell me Brian would you like to come to the DWMA to study the ways of a Demon Weapon?"

"Depends."

We all groan. "Just say yes, already," Maka complains. "You know you want to. You don't have to act all disinterested."

"Is that my sweet, sweet string bean of a daughter? Oh dearest Maka, how are you?" Spirit comes into the frame.

"You're back?" I ask. "Where's Stein?"

"He's gone off to fetch Marie. Oh, Maka dear, tell me that Soul is keeping his hands to himself my dear because I can't stand the thought of you being sullied by-"

"Dad, for the last time what I do with my body is my decision."

Wow- that sounded like a pretty clear, "We're having sex get over it" message to me. I swallow_. __**He is going to kill me.**_ I take a deep breath. Don't avoid his eyes, Soul, that will show guilt. It's Maka. You love her and _he _is the douchebag who has a crappy relationship with her. Stare him down. You've done nothing wrong. And as soon as you're a Death Scythe you'll be able to kick his ass if you need to so don't act intimidated.

Spirit's nostrils flare. "But, sweetheart-"

"This transmission is to inform Lord Death of our progress toward our goal, _not_ for you to attempt to intimidate me into being who you want me to be," Maka states with a business like tone.

"Yes," Kid says. "There are a great deal more important things than your groundless fears that Soul is anything less than a wonderful partner to your daughter. Any further interruptions of this nature and I will discontinue this communication and in future only talk to my father without you acting as advisor."

Wow! This level of escalation is not something I had expected. I guess our meisters woke up on the wrong side of the tent this morning. Spirit stomps out of the frame.

"Kid, was that entirely necessary?" Lord Death questions.

"Yes, Father, it is. We don't need the additional pressure of having our _personal_ choices scrutinized while on this trip."

"Well, I suppose that makes sense, you are under a great deal of pressure." Lord Death pauses as though contemplating something and then says, "Good work everyone! Liz and Patti, excellent work helping to get the supplies to heal Maka and helping to locate another Demon Weapon, and Meister Maka commendations to you for your _expert_ intellect in teasing out the secrets of Avian Flu, and Soul… a better partner I have never seen. Kudos to all of you."

And then he begins to ramble off a bunch of landmarks and coordinates that will lead us to the Avian Flu facility. We all scramble to get a pen and paper to write the shit down as he spouts it off without warning us first.

"Now, I don't want you to just barge in there. Go check the place out and report back before you _do_ _**anything**_ as I expect you to be vastly out-numbered and I need to develop a plan for your takeover of the facility. Good day to you all!"

And then the transmission is done and Kid's dad is gone and we are stuck standing there with our heads spinning.

"He did it again!" Patti exclaims shaking her head.

"Damn that man!" Curses Liz.

"It's not a big deal," Kid responds and I sense that this is some part of a larger conversation that I have not previously been a part of. "Soul, Maka, you saw that too, didn't you? Kid's dad told me and Patti we did an amazing job and he didn't say _one_ damn thing about Kid."

"He did congratulate everyone," I say, not in defense of Lord Death, but just to state fact.

"Yeah, but he never calls out any of the _great_ things Kid does," Liz says walking over and wrapping her arms around her meister. "I'm just so sick of seeing Kid not get the praise he deserves."

Kid attempts to shrug but finds it difficult as both of his partners are now attempting to cozy up to him. "Father has very high expectations of me. I've learned not to expect accolades from him. It's obvious to me that he either fears accusations of favoritism or simply expects me to act perfectly because I'm a reaper."

"Or he's just an ass," offers Patti.

"There is that, too," Kid says smirking slightly as he walks over to the girl's bed and sits on the end of it. He looks more tired than I think I've ever seen him.

"You deserve to be loved just as much as anyone else," Patti says while seating herself next to him on the bed her hands roaming over Kid's upper leg dangerously near to forbidden territory.

Kid tries to stand up, but Liz sits down on the other side of him and quickly the girls have him encumbered. "I assure you that this is _not_ the kind of attention I would want from my father," he says to them with a tone of amusement as he observes how thoroughly they have entangled him.

"We know," they say in unison. "But it's the kind of attention _we_ want to give you."

I raise an eyebrow. _This is new._ We've seen lots and lots of flirtation, but this…this is taking it to some kind of new level and for whatever reason, Kid doesn't fight it as much as I would have expected. Instead he says, "Soul, take Brian out of here. I don't want him getting the wrong idea about partners."

"Hey Brian, want to go hit the arcade downstairs?" I ask.

"Can I come too, _please_?" Maka asks with a rather panicked expression and I nod.

"I figured you'd be coming. I doubted you wanted to stay," I tell her with a laugh.

"_I _want to stay," Brian says as he watches Liz and Patti sensually ease Kid down onto his back on the bed.

"Uh huh. This is _not_ something for a kid to see." I grab him by the shoulders and shove him toward the door.

We go downstairs and I get some pesos and head into the hotel's game room.

"I wanna play that one!" Brian says pointing at something called _Super Alien Invasion_.

"Have at it!" I hand him a bunch of pesos.

"It's nice to see him acting like a kid," Maka says as she watches him. He's focuses intently on blasting aliens with photon torpedoes…or something similar.

"Yeah. I know it's not his fault he's an ass. It sounds like his parents were pieces of work."

"Oh, you were listening in on that conversation. I thought so," she says.

"I told you. Kid and I aren't about to leave him alone with you girls."

She rolls her eyes, "I could take him. He's a ten year old boy. I'd just need to be firm and tell him to go sit in the corner."

"Maybe…or maybe not. Besides, he could be a spy."

"I think the only thing he wants to spy on is someone having sex."

"Yeah, he's a little young to be that obsessed…"

"A _little_ young? He shouldn't even have a clue yet. Did you?"

I think back…the pre-Maka days are kind of a blur. I shrug. "Not sure. Don't really care."

I glance over my shoulder. Brian seems absorbed in the game and he looks to have a knack for it. Good, he may be occupied for a while. I lean over kissing Maka on the mouth.

"I think we need to be a little covert with the kid around…" Maka says.

"Yeah, Kid and I talked about the same thing, but I also think it'll do him some good to see a happy, healthy couple. Maka, all we're doing is kissing. It's ok. Really." Only mistake is I hadn't counted on one kiss making me horny. Now I'm all antsy and I'm not going to get any release.

"Do you think Kid and the girls are…?" she asks.

"I doubt it. I'm sure he's going to chicken out."

"You say that like it's a bad thing."

"I think it is. He's way too uptight."

"But don't you think it's about time he pick _one_ of them and quit stringing both of them along?"

"I dunno," I say kissing her again. "I think you need to take the same instructions that Kid gave his dad and not make judgments. Kid's doing the best he can given that he's part of a very intense and unique partnership."

Maka frowns. Uh oh. I think we may be heading into dangerous territory here… "So, threesomes don't weird you out?" she asks crossing her arms. It doesn't seem like an overtly accusatory way she's asking so I decide to answer honestly; though I'm a little scared my answer may bite me in the butt later.

"Not really. Besides they're twins."

"You have watched way too much porn, Soul, and they aren't really twins. You know that's just a joke right?"

_They aren't twins?! Then why do people call them the Demon Twin Guns?! _ "Don't pretend you aren't into girl porn."

"What are you talking about?! I hate porn and why would I watch other girls?"

"Not that kind of porn. I mean your damn books. I saw how big the sex and erotica section of your mind library was, so don't play all innocent with me."

I can actually watch as the red of her blush moves from her cheeks outward like a flower blooming.

"Soul, I haven't read those! If you opened 'em you'd see they were all blank on the inside. They were just titles recommended to me by Tsubaki. I-"

"Don't be embarrassed. I think it's hot." I say kissing her neck which is very warm probably from a mix of embarrassment and arousal.

"Soul, you need to stop."

I sigh deeply. "Ok, but you have to play some air hockey with me."

When we return to the room the atmosphere feels back to normal. The lust filled, harem vibe is gone and the girls are sitting on the couch painting each other's nails.

"Hey, Kid's in the shower. I have dibs on the tub after him," Patti says. "But don't worry. I don't have my toy boats with me, so I'll be fast."

"Patti!" a voice comes from the bathroom.

"Yeah?"

"Liz used all the damn shampoo."

"I did not!" Liz shouts back never once looking up from her toenails.

"Well, one drop is not going to be enough to make my white stripes white."

"I thought you were gonna dye them again, anyways," Patti says.

"Patti, go get more shampoo. Everyone else is going to need it, too."

Patti grabs a room key and Maka stands up to go with her without her even needing to ask. I flop on our bed and wonder what I could do to get my meister to be quiet enough so we could…

My fantasizing is interrupted by Liz who has come over to talk to me.

"Soul," Liz says quietly. "If you want the rest of us to get lost for a while later on tonight we would be happy to."

"Am I that obvious?" I ask feeling ashamed because she knows Maka and I did it just last night.

"I have a gift for recognizing horny dudes. Must be why I hooked up with Kid. There has never been a more desperately horny boy than that one."

"What about me?" asks Brian who has apparently been eavesdropping on our conversation.

"Brian, you don't even register as a kid yet, let alone a guy," lectures Liz. "And if you aren't a kid first you'll have a totally fucked up life. So, be a kid, enjoy the simple things, like sticks and sugary cereals, and waking up to presents on the morning of big holidays. It's bad enough you're already a Demon Weapon. Don't worry, girls will notice you eventually but it'll be a whole lot more fun if you actually like them as people."

"Yeah, Brian," I chime in. "I was gonna talk to you about that. All these girls are first and foremost friends. We may flirt or mess around, but they aren't sex objects…though they can be sexy sometimes. But you gotta remember they're equal team members and can be _extremely lethal _when pissed off so watch yourself because if you sneak a peek at any of them or do anything less than respectful to a DWMA chick it won't be me or Kid who snuff you."

Liz smiles. "You're such a poet, Soul." She leans over and whispers in my ear. "Thanks for earlier. We all really needed that…it's been a long time."

My eyes get big and my jaw drops. What exactly did they _do_?! I stare at her but she just smiles at me like some kind of angel-she demon hybrid and sits down to put on the next layer of nail polish.


End file.
